Future Legends
by Jeremy
Summary: Today they are revered as the Three. But it wasn't always that way. See through Jiraiya's eyes, Orochimaru's eyes and Tsunade's eyes as their story begins! UPDATED!
1. Chapter One

The middle-aged man stretched himself and lay down for a good night's sleep. Although in fine shape still despite the many battles he had fought and the sorrows he had endured, he just wasn't able to stand fatigue as much as when he'd been young. It was thus with some hidden pleasure that he prepared to sleep.   
  
'After all', he thought seriously, 'soon I'll have to face an old teammate. And possibly face another former teammate. I'm not looking forward to either, really. Damn.' And then an image of the Third's lifeless body surged in his mind, and a swell of grief briefly flared. 'But I'll do it. If only for you, old man'...'  
  
"Hey, Perverted Hermit!" a raucous shout intruded upon Jiraiya's sleepy musings.  
  
Jiraiya had never been a particularly patient man, or so he thought. What others thought tended to be worse, but he'd never cared much about that. Certainly, age, experience and his traveling habits had helped develop more than a bit of tolerance to most things. However, there were some things, people and noises that still got to the old man, despite his patience.  
  
Uzumaki Naruto, unfortunately, managed to be all three at once. This made him... somewhat of a challenge to handle. The aging legend counted to ten and raised his head from his bedroll, his eyes already darkened in annoyance.  
  
"'Frog' Hermit. And don't shout! I'm trying to sleep here." The aged, white-haired man said. His voice had an edge to it, but the old man didn't give a damn. The little brat deserved his annoyance for disturbing him at this hour. His frustration quite obviously hadn't been conveyed clearly enough. At least, not clearly enough to Naruto, because the young blonde seemed to materialize next to him, frowning.  
  
"Old man, old man!" Naruto started, searching for the right way to say what he had in mind. "Its still early!! Can't we train a bit more?"  
  
Jiraiya wondered wearily when Naruto considered training to have been 'enough'. He pushed himself to a sitting position, fixed the smiling boy with a glare and made a gesture, which managed encompass the entire campsite  
  
"Its not early! Its night! Its late, and I'm tired, so I'm going to sleep! You should too! There's no way in hell I'm teaching an half-dead kid tomorrow!" Jiraiya growled. Even as he did, he knew it wouldn't work. Lord only knew little did when that kid wanted something. Sure enough, Naruto huffed, stood up and kicked the ground in annoyance. The white-haired ninja sighed heavily.  
  
Suddenly, Naruto snapped at the old man, saying, "You're no fun! How did you get that strong by being that lazy?"  
  
"Why you...who's lazy?" the red-clad man snapped right back. "Sheesh, you're just like..." he stopped, realizing what he'd been about to say. There was no way that he was going to give the kind this kind of ammunition. On the other hand...yes, why not...it certainly fitted his mood... "Okay kid. Training's over tonight. In exchange, how about I tell you some old stuff about my Genin days?" The blond-haired boy stopped pacing around the campfire and gave him a look of obviously piqued interest.   
  
"Your Genin days? You 'were' a Genin?" Naruto asked incredulously Jiraiya didn't know if that part was a joke, an insult or simply a dumb question, and so let it go.  
  
"Yeah...I sure was. My teacher was the Third himself! Well, he wasn't the Third back then, and my teammates..." the white haired man trailed off as old, unpleasant memories washing over him "Well, it's a long story. Let's see..."  
  
"Don't tell me you're getting senile, Perverted Hermit." Naruto scoffed, but sat down nearby with an eagerness that belied his belligerence. Jiraiya simply glared at the boy as they both crossed their arms.  
  
"Shut up! If I'm gonna tell that story, I want to begin somewhere important," Jiraiya snapped, and Naruto actually seemed to back down a bit. "I guess I'll start at the beginning. It's as good a place as any, I guess. The genin exam... Damn, that was a long time ago. I had no idea what was in store for me then."  
  
Future Legends  
  
by Stormfang88  
  
Chapter One  
  
**********  
  
Konoha, 38 years earlier...  
  
**********  
  
The first rays of the sun had barely breached the blackness of the night that Jiraiya was wide awake. Normally a late sleeper, he'd found himself unable to do anything but some light slumber and lots of tossing and turning on his futon. He wanted to run, to kick the energy out of his system, but he knew that his mother would chew him out if he did. As such, it was with a large measure of relief that he watched the sun come up from the window of his bedroom.  
  
He couldn't wait. This was his big day. The day of the Genin Exam!  
  
He'd worked so hard for it, too. A gruelling year of boring classes, of stiff-necked discipline and far too much physical exercise for his taste. He'd disliked most of it, with only the ninjutsu classes as a saving grace. He'd put up with it, however. He had done the chores, done the work, and finally had managed to pass the written test. And now, today, was the final part!  
  
He wanted to rush right from his home and right to the academy, but was waylaid when his mother had put her foot down. The tall, brown-haired woman had dragooned him unto his seat before giving him his breakfast. Jiraiya had given his father a pleading look that had been answered by a grin and a slight shake of his head. His father was already dressed in his green ninja attire, with Konoha's headband fastened around his head.  
  
"So, the Genin Exam, eh?" his father asked with an amused grin. "Sleep well?"  
  
"Yeah!" 'Course I did!" was Jiraiya's quick answer. He crossed his arms and grinned. "This is gonna be a breeze dad! I'm sure I'm gonna pass!"  
  
"Not on an empty stomach, you won't!" his mother scolded. "Now eat up before it gets cold."  
  
"Mom!" he whined. "The exam's soon! I gotta hurry!"  
  
"Then stop talking and start eating, son." she answered, her tone far too reasonable to Jiraiya's excited mind. With his father chuckling and being no help, he wolfed down his breakfast without knowing or caring what it was. With quick byes to his parents, the young hopeful ran outside and down the streets of Konoha.  
  
It was early in the morning, so he had no problem with having to squeeze through a throng. A few people were up and about. Here a shop was opening. There, two ninjas were lounging on a bench, deep in conversation. A few early passerbies walked around the village's streets on that fair, sunny day of late spring.   
  
"Ji-san! Hey, wait up Ji-san!" a voice called, and Jiraiya slowed his run to see who it could be. That was his mistake. As fate would have it, someone rounded the corner just as he ran there blindly, and the two collided. He bounced back another body, falling on his rear. He saw stars for a moment, and glared up at a brown-haired man with a goatee.  
  
"You okay kid?" the man asked.  
  
Jiraiya knew he should simply have said yes. He should simply have apologized, gotten up and gone on his way. But he didn't. Once again, his mouth worked ahead of his brain.   
  
"No, I'm not! Can't you watch where you're going, old man!"  
  
"Well, 'you' were the one who ran into 'me'. 'I' had nothing to do with it." The man frowned, but his voice only showed amusement.   
  
That statement was so true that Jiraiya found he could do little but steam silently for a moment.   
  
"Bah! I'll have you know I'm going to be a Genin today! So I don't have time for you!"  
  
"Genin? You? Well, that's interesting. Good luck, for what its worth kid." with that and a wave of his hand, the man walked away down the street. Jiraiya stared after him and stuck his tongue. 'That old man, who does he think he is?' he griped silently. Just a boy his age ran to him. He was a small boy, with small eyes, a small nose and a mouth like some china doll. The boy stopped short of Jiraiya, panting, his dusky blonde hair damp.  
  
"H...hello...Ji-san." the boy gasped. "How are ya?"  
  
"Hehehe! I'm all fired up, Mizoshi! Bring the test on!" Jiraiya forgot about the incident, which had occurred, grinning at his best friend.   
  
The other boy nodded. "Ditto, ditto. Well, might as well hurry the rest of the way. The exam won't wait for us, you know."  
  
"Then come on! The last one there's a rotten potato!" The white-haired youth laughed in response and took off running. Behind him, he heard a frustrated gasp and the sounds of running feet.  
  
"No fair, Ji-san! You started too early!"  
  
Running through the streets of Konoha, Jiraiya only laughed carelessly.  
  
*****  
  
Usually, the classroom was packed with students, filling the levels neatly. Usually the same classroom rang with easy conversation, interrupted by laughs and jibes, or else was silent. This was the way it had always been with Kou-sensei's class. But this class was different. In a class of over seventy students, only twenty-one remained, those who had passed the written test. Instead of easy conversations, the small clumps talked with nervousness. It continued until Kou-Sensei and another chuunin entered the classroom.  
  
Kou-sensei was, as far as students were concerned, a stiff martinet who had no hint of a sense of humour. Jiraiya happened to be a strong believer of the latter point, having tested the man intensively himself. Being caught by the man while he was trying out a perfected jutsu in the girl's locker room had convinced him the man didn't know the meaning of 'fun'. His blockish, marble-faced looks marred by red marks - the results of a mission - only heightened the sense of harsh discipline the man demanded from his students.   
  
Yet, for all that, Jiraiya considered him a good teacher. He was easy to follow, never raised his voice - although he never needed to - and always was on hand if one had to talk to him. The younger chuuning next to him was unknown to Jiraiya. Not that it mattered to him, or the other students. Jiraiya turned and exchanged a thumbs-up with Mizoshi before their teacher began to talk.  
  
"Well, kids." Kou-sensei began, "You know I'm not big on words, so I'll make this brief. Each of you has passed the written tests to my satisfaction. Congratulations." murmurs began, but ended as soon as their teacher continued. "Today's the decisive part. You pass here, and you'll have completed the necessary training here. Don't and, well... but let's not dwell on that. Today's your last test. I will be chairing it with Nara Shizunaku here. The test will be on shuriken throws and Henge no Jutsu. Any questions?"  
  
A single, slender pale hand rose. Jiraiya knew who it was at once, and glared. Of all the students, Orochimaru Minado had been the most gifted, breezing through lessons and tests. He also happened to be quite unpopular, given an ability for arrogance Jiraiya had been the target of more than once, and a strange, serpentine appearance. Being an average student except in ninjutsu, Jiraiya had always disliked and envied Orochimaru's natural learning abilities.  
  
"Yes, Orochimaru?" Kou-sensei asked."  
  
"Will the test be conducted here or at another locale?" The pale student asked mildly.  
  
"We will conduct the test in the room adjacent to this one. You will all go one by one, in alphabetical order." Kou explained.  
  
"Thank you, Kou-sensei." Orochimaru replied dutifully. Jiraiya nearly stuck his tongue at him. 'There he goes, always bootlicking the teacher. Doesn't the guy have any pride?' His attention was quickly capted by Kou again before he could dwell on that too long.  
  
"Well, then, let's begin, shall we. Shizunaku here will call your name. The test is quick, and simple. Be ready...and good luck to you all." Kou-sensei then nodded and exited the classroom by a door to the side - a door leading to what had been, until today, an unused storage room.  
  
Shizunaku called the first name, and entered the room with that student. It was then that Jiraiya broke into a cold sweat. No amount of bravado, of smug assurance could prepare him for the sheer dread the exam suddenly caused in him. And it wasn't the exam itself. He knew that much. He'd been prepared for it, had worked as hard as he could to be ready for it.  
  
No, it was the thought of 'failing' the test which terrified him. He was good with ninjutsu. He knew that much. But taijutsu and genjutsu...he'd never been the best at it. Average, sometimes slightly below that. And the test was based on these two thirds of the ninja. 'No wonder there were so darn many ninjutsu questions in the written test.' his mind pondered worriedly, 'They knew it wasn't gonna be physically tested.'  
  
What if he failed? If he did, that smug Orochimaru'd always look down at him worse than ever. And his father...how would he face his father. How would he face himself? If he failed.  
  
"Futema Jiraiya!" he heard Shizunaku's voice drone out. By his tone, it wasn't the first time. He raised his head and stared across the classroom to the sleepy-looking chuunin.  
  
"Yeah?" Jiraiya said vaguely, and found to his shame that his voice squeaked. Worse was that Orochimaru noticed, and smirked. Shizunaku, however, seemed to find his answer less than amusing.  
  
"Wake up, Futema!" the chuunin said with more heat. "You're up."  
  
So that was it. Today he'd see if how he'd trained really paid off. If he succeeded, he'd be a genin. If not...he didn't know 'what' he'd do.  
  
"Try not to wet your pants, Jiraiya-kun." Orochimaru sneered, and Jiraiya gave him an angry look. Nearby, Mizoshi stirred.  
  
"Show'em your stuff, Ji-san!"  
  
That did it. That was enough to shake Jiraiya out of this. If he failed, then he failed. He couldn't help that. But he'd kill himself before he gave Orochimaru the pleasure of seeing him quail. He had a reputation, and he was going to stick by it.  
  
And so, although his stomach wanted to flee from his body, although his heart jumped like crazy, Jiraiya grinned a cheeky grin, and with, deliberate swagger, strode down the classroom stairs and followed Nara Shizunaku to the last academy exam.  
  
***  
  
Jiraiya entered the room, where five targets formed of three painted circles each - white inside blue inside red - had been hung against the far wall, all of them already marked with shuriken strikes. On the other side was a table at which Kou-sensei was already seated, and on which headbands with the Konoha symbol were neatly folded. This direct remainder excited him, and it took a moment for him to think straight. 'So close. Damn it, I can't fail here. So close!'  
  
"Jiraiya. Do you see the five targets? Look at them well." Shizunaku asked him. Obediently Jiraiya turned and stared. Pretty ordinary practice targets as far as he was concerned. He failed to see the assistant form hand seals, and only realized when the man grabbed the back of his head. "Tooku Kage no Jutsu!" And the world went dark.  
  
"Hey! Hey! What did you do to me?" he cried, his voice more than slightly panicked. Everything was a black void.  
  
"Temporarily blinded you." came Shizunaku's deadpan reply. "Now, hit the five targets with a shuriken each."  
  
"What? But that's just..." he strangled the rest of the sentence before it went out of his mouth, but the meaning was obvious. He heard Kou-sensei clear his throat.  
  
"There are times when you might find yourself having to relay solely on instinct to hit a target. We wish to see if you have the necessary physical and mental balance needed for such a task." Kou-sensei's voice became slightly harder. "Now, Jiraiya, use your instinct and hit the targets."  
  
Jiraiya wanted to scream out that he couldn't do it, but restrained himself. 'This is just blind fighting. Right. Blind fighting. My eyes are closed, and I have to hit. No problem.' A panicked part of his mind tries to argue, but he forced it down. 'I'll do it. I've worked too hard to come here.' His hand reached inside the equipment sack and pulled five shuriken out. 'Now, just hit them. They were each distanced about...'  
  
"Strike, Jiraiya. Don't think. Strike." Kou's voice interjected, scattering his calculations.  
  
Jiraiya gritted his teeth. 'Easy for you to say, you old geezer!' he thought. Still, he tried to concentrate. Not on the target themselves, but rather on the fact that he wanted - that he had to - hit each of these targets. As his father had taught him, he pictured himself in the midst of a fight. Each moment of hesitation was an eternity, and each misstep could end one's life. Five enemies were before him, beyond his sight. 'But I know they're here! I know where they are! Don't think. It'll hit. It'll hit. It'll hit!'  
  
By themselves, his shuriken flew, and he heard the thumping noise of them striking wood. Beyond his blind eyes, Shizunaku grunted.  
  
"Kai!" The assistance growled, and sight returned to Jiraiya in a matter of moments. Despite his normal bravado, Jiraiya couldn't retain a sigh of relief. It was then that he saw his shuriken.  
  
One had hit right centre, exactly in the white, while three had struck in the larger blue circle. But what made him wince was that the last had barely been struck. The last was stuck at the very fringe of the red paint. Jiraiya's mind panicked. 'Is that enough? Or are they just going to tell me 'tough luck, kid'? Please, please oh please, I can't fail here!' But he wouldn't tell them that. He wouldn't show his fear, and grinned at Shizunaku.   
  
"Well, not too shabby, eh?" The genin-hopeful smirked with confidence, even though he felt little of it right then. Shizunaku only gave a small, bored grunt before striding to the table and sitting next to Kou-sensei. Both chuunin looked at him neutrally for a moment before his teacher spoke.  
  
"Alright, Jiraiya. Last test, and then we'll talk." he seemed to consider a moment. "Jiraiya, use Henge no Jutsu and change into Hokage-sama.  
  
Consternation returned. "T-the Hokage. B-but I don't know the Second..." he quickly recovered and assumed fake affront "Come on! I've never met the old guy. I don't know him at all!"  
  
Kou-sensei seemed to be less than impressed by the outburst. "You've seen him a few times. People you're going to take the appearance of won't always give you the full look, you know. You need to transform based on what little you have. Now go."  
  
'Stiff-necked old bastard! You don't care if I pass or not, do you? But I'll show you!' Desperately, Jiraiya brought up the Second Hokage to his mind. All he had seen had been a tall, wrinkled old man. He had been dressed in a sort of robe and a worn a thoughtful, calm expression. That was it. Any detail beyond that was lost to the mists of his memory. 'It'll be enough. It has to.' he reflected. His hands formed the simple seals of the Henge no Jutsu, and he called upon his chakkra, molding it around him, his mind fixed on that calm old man, seen from afar at the last festival.  
  
His chakkra fused with his body, and he felt a tingly feeling even as his new form took shape. He looked down at his hands. Old hands, worn by time and battles. He lifted his head - he was quite a bit taller for the moment - and saw Kou-sensei and Shizunaku exchange glances.  
  
"Okay, Jiraiya. You can stop the Henge no Jutsu."  
  
Jiraiya dispelled the chakkra around him, and within a moment he was back, he knew, to his old self. Desperately hiding his ever-growing apprehension, he faced his teacher with cheeky confidence. Whatever happened, he wouldn't break. It was a promise he'd made with himself, and one he had no intention of ever breaking.  
  
"So, wasn't my Henge just perfect?" the young genin-hopeful asked proudly.  
  
Kou-sensei sighed. "Hokage-sama isn't nearly as wrinkled as the man I saw. The cut of the Hokage clothes was slightly wrong, and you created a man who was far too tall to be him. Any shinobi from Konoha would recognize the fake within an instant."  
  
"But-" Jiraiya began, but his teacher rode over his protest.  
  
"As for the throws, you only hit one target dead centre, and nearly missed one. Not nearly what I'd call perfect. You still have much to learn, Jiraiya." The red-marked chuunin said.  
  
Jiraiya's world began to crumble as he bowed his head. He tried desperately to tell himself that it didn't mean he had failed, but he knew the words weren't used to encourage the idea that he'd passed. 'Oh. Oh, no.' was all his mind managed to tell itself. 'What do I do now?' He nearly missed Kou-Sensei's next words. Without warning, he felt tears mounting to the surface.  
  
"I guess your jounin teacher'll have his work cut out for him." the man said. As Jiraiya raised his head in surprise and sudden hope, he gave a slight grin. "You almost missed, but you didn't. As for Hokage-sama...well, any ninja from Konoha would know the difference. But any enemy would probably hesitate for a moment or more. That's all you'd need to do something." He nodded to Shizunaku, who took one of the headbands and handed it to the teacher. Kou-sensei rose and walked to him. He gently put the headband in Jiraiya's clutching hand.  
  
And said those few words that the white-haired boy was certain he would remember until he was an old man.  
  
"Congratulations, Jiraiya. You pass the final test."  
  
***  
  
Jiraiya touched the headband on his forehead quickly. Once more, he felt it there, securely fastened. He grinned with renewed glee, as he had every single time before. The shining sun seemed to smile down on him. But, then again, he would have found a smile in a rainy day, the way he felt. He glanced around him, noting the faces around his were just as beaming as his probably was.  
  
There weren't many of his class there. Mizoshi had passed, and that thrilled him. Orochimaru had too, which didn't thrill Jiraiya at all. Aside from that, only four others had the headbands. 'And if I count all the classes, there's probably less than twenty-five of us who passed. Whoa.'  
  
The parents of those who had passed - many of them ninjas themselves - streamed in to congratulate their children and take them home. He had no problem finding his own father. Futemas had a tendency to be taller than most, as was the white hair, and his old man was no exception to that rule. He waved to his father, and within a moment father and son were face to face, both grinning broadly.  
  
His father's mouth twitched. "You did it, son." he commented, before seizing Jiraiya and engulfing him in a bear hug. It was something that felt both comforting and mildly embarrassing to the young genin. His father laughed loudly, one amidst many in the joyful atmosphere. "I knew you would. I just knew you would. You'll be a better ninja than I am. I just know it! Way, way better!"  
  
"Oh, come on, dad!" he said smugly "The exam was a piece o' cake!" 'Liar', his logical mind almost screamed. Jiraiya's wilder side paid no heed. His father shook his white-haired head, chuckling lightly.  
  
"It's just like you to say that. You're proud, like your mother, bless her. 'That' is why you'll be a better shinobi. I'm fine being where I am. But you won't be." he suddenly seemed mildly saddened by that thought, as if he could see something beyond sight. Slightly unsettled by his father's unusual mood, Jiraiya cast about for something to say. But then his old man broke out of his mild reverie, and laughed again. "Bah, what does it matter right now? This is a time for celebration. Let's go eat! All three of us! That'll give your mother a richly deserved rest!" He laughed once more, and this time Jiraiya joined in.  
  
Jiraiya's eyes twinkled with pride and pleasure. "If that's the case, then...I want to eat at Shikozu's!" He knew the pricey restaurant was usually out of his father's price range, but they made the best fried chicken stick with sauce in all of Konoha. But in this case...  
  
His father stared a moment, then grinned a bit. "Fine. This is a big occasion, after all. Why not?"  
  
"Yeah!" the white-haired genin jumped up and down with glee. This was just the perfect day of his life. He ran forward a few steps, then turned and beckoned to his father. "Come on, dad! Let's get mom and go!"  
  
Only he found that his father wasn't looking in his direction at all. Instead he was looking somewhere to the side, away from the main crowd, his scratching his chin and looking thoughtful. Jiraiya turned his gaze to follow his father's and was rather displeased by what he found.  
  
It was Orochimaru. Aside from everyone else, he sat on a bench, his gaze on the headband he had won. He stroke it, and for a moment the air of loneliness the boy seemed to exude hit Jiraiya. And then it went away. 'Serves him right. Smug, arrogant bastard. Let him be alone!' He wasn't too proud of the thought, but couldn't help but mean it. It was because of this that he gaped when his father, with a decided air, walked up to the pale-skinned boy and began to talk.  
  
Jiraiya couldn't quite catch what was being said, but he could tell by his father's motions that the white-haired chuunin was insisting. His father pointed to Jiraiya, whereupon Orochimaru shook his head. More gestures ensued, and it seemed that the black-haired genius graduate was hesitating. Eventually, his father seemed to say something that struck home, for after a moment, Orochimaru bowed his head slightly, rose and followed the tall man.  
  
"Hey!" his father said "Sorry to keep you waiting son. I just picked up someone else to go eat with us."  
  
For a moment, he thought he heard that wrong. 'Is he nuts? Of all the people in the entire school, this is the last guy I'd want to party with!' Orochimaru didn't look at him, only back at the crowd. Still, he didn't seem to be going anywhere they weren't for now. He opened his mouth. He wasn't sure what he was about to say, except it probably would have included details about Orochimaru's snake anatomy.  
  
He didn't get the chance to get a word in. His father moved beside him and gently but surely moved his face away from the skilled but disliked Genin. His expression was one of understanding, but also of firm commitment to whatever he had decided. Jiraiya knew that look, and despaired. Rarely used, when it was it meant no one could budge his old man. Not even his mother.  
  
"Now, Jiraiya, I know you don't like Orochimaru much. I know you think it's not a good idea to take him along. I'm certain you'd prefer it if I invited Mizoshi instead, right?"  
  
Jiraiya nodded. There was no use denying any of that. He huffed. "He's the most arrogant kid in the school! Keeps rubbing his talent into everybody's face!"  
  
"You think so?" his father mused, "I don't see the most arrogant kid here. But I do see the loneliest. The successful end to the academy is best celebrated. Every family here will in some way. But Orochimaru here is the only one who has no one. To him, it's not the best day of his life. Its the loneliest."  
  
He could see what his father meant. Sorta. But all the times he had been upstaged and ridiculed by Orochimaru went through his mind. "So what? He deserves it!" He hissed. He regretted saying it immediately, and felt even worse when his father looked at him in disappointment.  
  
"If your mother heard that, she'd ground you for a week, and you'd deserve it." the chuunin stated. "Since its me, I'm just going to tell you this: If you never give people a chance to be more than what you think they are, what they probably are on the surface...you'll have missed out on a lot in life. Ninjas like that are powerful at times. Some of them are Jounin, and pretty good ones. But those ninjas are never liked by others. Never fully trusted."  
  
"But Orochimaru's so...I can't just eat with him, dad!" the young genin blurted out. He kept his voice low, yet he felt about to explode. 'This isn't turning out into a perfect day after all, dammit!' His father's sigh told him it hadn't been the thing to say.  
  
"Well, you're still young. You have time to learn it for yourself." he rose to his full height, and beckoned Orochimaru to join them. "Well, let's go boys! Dinner's on me tonight!"  
  
As his father turned his back, Jiraiya gave Orochimaru a look, which was returned flatly. Yet there was something in the strange eyes, something Jiraiya couldn't grasp. It stifled what he'd been about to say. Instead he just choked out. "Congratulations."  
  
The snake-faced genin opened his mouth as if to say something, then thought better of it. "And to you." With that said, the pale boy followed Jiraiya's father. A moment later, the white-haired boy followed suit.  
  
'This isn't working out as planned.' he thought sourly. But then he touched his brand new headband, and most of his misgivings went away. 'But it doesn't matter. No today! Today I can take anyone's company. Even Orochimaru's.'   
  
And Jiraiya stepped out of the academy grounds with a joyful grin returned to his lips. He couldn't wait to see his mom's expression when she saw him!  
  
*** 


	2. Chapter Two

_Konoha, a dream? Perhaps. But if so, it is a dream I wish will never come to an end. I will fight for it, risking my life, so that it may continue. If this foolish dream of mine can allow children to be born in this oasis of peace, then is it not reason enough for my struggle?_

-The First Hokage

Future Legends

Chapter Two

    Jiraiya looked around the classroom. Gathered in a small auditorium, the students who had passed the Gening Exam talked and fidgeted with varying degrees of impatience. Even Orochimaru, who was always so damnably calm in Jiraiya's eyes, was showing signs of tense eagerness. For once, the white-haired genin found himself in perfect agreement. _This is torture! How long do these geezers plan on keep us waiting?_

    Looks of varying impatience and mounting ire were periodically being shot at the chuunin who had the duty to tell them the teams in which they'd be. It was customary for the incoming genin to be formed into teams of three and supervised by an experienced Jounin for at least six months. More, if the team's sensei deemed it necessary, which was common. Instituted by the First Hokage, it had become part of every leaf-nin's life. 

    All the same, Jiraiya felt it to be a waste of time. _What's the need for that big, three-man mess? With a Jounin babysitter too! I came this far on my own, and I can go all the way on my own! _He thought, knowing better than to voice his thoughts aloud. His grumbling hadn't been well-received when he had been an academy student, and he'd found that the teachers were even less inclined to let things such as bad-mouthing tradition pass now that he was a Genin. He comforted himself by adding his own glare to the pack directed the chuunin's way.

    The Chuunin in question could have been comfortably nestled in a chair, sipping tea and reading a book for all he seemed to care about the intensity around him. It wasn't Kou-sensei; it was another teacher who had, if Jiraiya's memory served him, introduced them to geography and the basics of international politics. _It figures that I can't place the guy that well. Slept through practically all of his classes._

    The teacher set some papers together, took the sheet on top, and stepped forward. Clearing his throat, he addressed the students in a surprisingly clear voice.

    "To all of you, I wish to convey my sincerest congratulations first," he addressed the crowd. "The testing at this academy is not easy, and we only let those who truly deserve the honor to wear one of these." The teacher tapped his own headband. "And rest assured that it _is_ an honor, and one you'll have to prove yourself worthy of in many ways."

_    Cut to the chase, would ya, old man?_ Jiraiya thought caustically. The Chuunin probably wasn't older than thirty-five, but to Jiraiya's eyes, this was more than old.

    "In order for you to understand your full duties as ninjas of the Hidden Leaf, your teachers have divided you into teams of three. The teams have been chosen based on a mix of abilities and personality. Each team will then be taught more advanced genjutsu, ninjutsu and taijutsu by the Jounin who will be placed in charge."

    The teacher droned on, and Jiraiya soon tuned him out. It didn't take long for Jiraiya to remember just why he'd slept so often in that particular class. Eventually, however, the man finally stopped, and finally turned his attention towards the sheet he was holding. Jiraiya's heart began to beat faster.

    "So, for Team One: Kita Iroku, Hosenku Kai and Hatamori Mizoshi." The man said. Jiraiya nodded and flashed a grin to his friend. Kai and Iroku were good people; Mizoshi'd fit well with. He idly listened to the other teams being formed. Team Two was an all-girl team, a rarity. Team Three was made up of three he knew nothing about.

    "Team Four: Futema Jiraiya..." the teacher began. Jiraiya sat up straight. He eagerly wondered who he'd be paired with. He hoped they'd be guys with a sense of humor, or else it'd be deathly boring to him. _Could be two girls. They're annoying, but they got their perks, heheheh! _Jiraiya still didn't understand the concepts of men-women relationships well. He couldn't fathom why his father and mother took so much fun at being together all the time. As far as Jiraiya was concerned, it would drive him crazy to deal with a girl all the time. But he had begun, in the last few months, to understand a bit about girls and the possible, temporary fun they might be.

    "...Mishiko Tsunade..." the chuunin continued. The white-haired boy looked around as the name was spoken. _Tsunade, Tsunade. That's a girl's name. Wonder what she looks like._ He scanned the faces around him and quickly spotted the one who had reacted. He was instantly disappointed. Even to his glimmer of nascent male interest, Mishiko Tsunade looked like a plain girl, so plain and flat that she physically looked more like a boy. He pouted. _A cutie might have been fun. But a flat-chested tomboy? Bo-ring!_

    "...and Minado Orochimaru." the teacher finished. Jiraiya's heart stopped. Or so was the impression it gave him when the information, heard clearly, was communicated to his brain. The way the last name of Team Four seemed to echo inside him. It might have been that his ears had to repeat the name many times so that his shocked mind could force the information to be received. He gripped the edges of his seat to keep from screaming a tremendous denial.

_    NO. WAY. No way! No way! There's no way I'm getting teamed with that insufferable, smug, arrogant, pale-faced, snake-tongued...gah! _Jiraiya's frantic mind thought, trying to deny the reality of the situation. Two rows down, he saw Orochimaru's back, covered partially by the boy's long, straight black hair. The smug genin, whom Jiraiya had eaten with the previous evening, and whom he liked even less because of it, shook his head slowly. _Probably thinking he's stuck with losers, knowing him! Damn you, snake-face!_

    "What the hell? You've got to be kidding me!" a young, female voice rang out angrily. "You're getting me paired up with a freak and that pervert? Do you want me to die or something!" Jiraiya looked at Tsunade in surprise, as the blonde genin was pounding the desk furiously as she spoke. 

_    She's even more of a tomboy than I thought at first. _he thought uncomfortable _Are girls supposed to be _this _violent?_ He agreed with her comment on Orochimaru, but bristled about the one certainly directed his way. _I'm not a pervert! I just go and peek for fun. In the girl's washroom. Once a week. Maybe twice. _He growled as his own mind defeated his protest, and pouted.

    "Mishiko-san, I won't tolerate this type of yelling in class." The sensei didn't seem to care much for the outburst. Nor did the rest of the class, which alternated between glaring and snickering.

    "But, sensei...!" Tsunade began to shout again, and began to stand up. The chuunin, who had been looking quite placid until then, glared up at her. Realizing at last what she had been doing, Tsunade crossed her arms, sniffed angrily, and sat down. The teacher only cleared his throat before resuming in a calm voice, going through all the teams to team eight.

    "Now that you know your teams, this ends the last class you'll have at this academy. Tomorrow, at eight in the morning, the jounin assigned to train you will come to meet you and begin training you according to their own methods." the chuunin nodded as much to them as to himself. "Be proud of your achievements. Remember what you did to come here. Then you should be all right. One final time, congratulations to you all. Class dismissed."

    Jiraiya crossed his arms, alone in his dark thoughts. He didn't go see his new team-mates. He disliked one, and the other was a violent tomboy, and an abusive one at that. So far, things weren't looking up. _Geez, I just hope at least the Jounin sensei'll be fun!_

***

    After finding about his teammates, Jiraiya had been in anything but a good mood. Not wanting to bother any friends with it, Mizoshi having a good teamand being the only one of his friends that had graduated, Jiraiya had gone directly to his parents. 

    Not finding his father home was disappointing, but hardly surprising. A chuunin, the elder Futema was often called to administrative duties around the town, or leading teams on B or C- class missions. He had subsequently started complaining about it to his mother.

    "But, Jiraiya, having a team of people you don't know well can be good!" she said even as she arranged a future flower bed in the Futema family's small garden.

    "Mom, that's not the point!" Jiraiya grunted "These guys are weird. Orochimaru's a smug guy I can't stand, and that girl's just...just...violent!" The word he'd chosen didn't do justice to the well of pent-up frustrations he'd felt from that Tsunade girl, but it would have to do. Still, his mother didn't seem to see it that way. _What IS it with adults? Do they train on not getting their kid's point or something?_

    "Jiraiya, you know how your dad and I met, right?" his mother asked, her voice slightly distracted.

    "Yeah, yeah. You two met while your were Genin. You dated back then, and got together right before a leg injury forced you to retire and dad passed the Chuunin Exam." he nodded, reciting the familiar story. His father had always been fond of reminiscing on his time dating his mom, which made Jiraiya wonder just how much more relationships with girls could be than he thought.

    "Yes, that's it. But what my beloved Mudoya always fails to remind people was that I found him an insipid, shy fool. And he found me more than a little arrogant, I'd say. In short, we didn't get along at all. And now we can hardly stand being apart for long. See what I mean?" Jiraiya's mother reminisced fondly.

    The white-haired boy came up blank on that one. It was very well and good that his mother and father bickered when they were young, but he failed to see how that related to his being with Orochimaru and Tsunade. _It's not like mom and dad ever were anything like these two. And I certainly don't want to date a violent flat-chested tomboy like that Tsunade! _His look must have been plain to understand, for she gave him a look,*- sighed and shook her head slightly, shaking her mane of gray-streaked brown hair.

    "Jiraiya, you know I agree with your father. After having dinner with Orochimaru, I think that he's a very nice boy, even if he's a bit shy," she noted, much to the young Futema's obvious frustration..

    The young genin gritted his teeth a bit at that. Once again, his parents weren't seeing straight. _So that smug snake-face didn't throw any insults at them. So what? That's only because he knew he would have gotten his ass kicked!_ The fact that his mind kept telling him there was no way his parents would strike a child, no matter the reason, didn't deter him. That was the way he saw things, and that was good enough because he'd decided so.

    "All Orochimaru is gonna is keep gloating each time he does something right first!" he whined. His mother only shrugged.

    "Then it's up to you to train hard enough so that it doesn't happen too often, is it? If he's better, Orochimaru has the right to gloat a bit right now. And if he's not the best, you'll have to work to prove it," his mother said, then resumed working the soil for the future flower bed. 

    Once again, Jiraiya found his mother's tone far too reasonable for his tastes. He had to admit that what she was saying sounded right. However, beating Orochimaru was by no means easy. Although relatively gifted in Ninjutsu, Jiraiya had only average taijutsu abilities and was below most of the class when it came to genjutsu. Orochimaru was considered strong in all three, and 'the' best where genjutsu was concerned. The only problem he had shown at times was an inability to control his chakra. 

    All in all, showing Orochimaru up would be difficult. _Difficult? _he reflected bitterly, _Damn impossible you mean! _He tried another tactic.

    "And what about that girl?" Jiraiya nearly snapped, stopping himself only when he realized he'd be grounded for two weeks if he ever snapped at his moher. "She nearly attacked the sensei today. I can't team up with someone who's that dangerous!"

    "Girls sometimes get more emotional then boys, especially if..." she mused. He looked at her, blinking in confusion.

    "Huh? Why's that?" the active genin asked the retired genin. His mother actually stopped working and even looked mildly embarrassed to have been asked the question.

    "Its...err...that's hard to explain right now, Jiraiya." she turned back to her gardening. "You'll understand when you're older."

_    THAT sentence. I should've known._ he griped. Every single time either his father or his mother had trouble explaining something, they fell back to using that sentence, as if it made everything okay. _I'm beginning to wonder if I'm supposed to learn things only when I become one of these adults. Do answers pop inside their mind as soon as they reach 18?_

    He looked around the small garden as he pondered over that. In one corner, an old sandbox lay, once used by a smaller and messier version of himself. Small bushes with new leaves and burgeoning flowers were everywhere. Following her injury, his mother had taken to teaching some herbal courses at the Ninja Academy, and had also given administrative aid to active ninjas. Although officially inactive since her injury, his mother was not only useful, but highly respected. Her garden was, to Jiraiya, a symbol of that spirit she put into things. It was a spirit his father said Jiraiya had inherited. _Hope so. It'd help._

_    Yeah, well, doesn't change the fact that I'm stuck with a lousy team of weirdos, flowers or not, spirit or not! _He griped silently.

    "I don't like them! That's that!" he muttered, crossing his arms and pouting. He heard his mother sigh, harder this time, and mutter something about fate giving her strength.

    "Jiraiya, being a ninja of the Hidden Leaf isn't always fun and games." she pointed out in a tired voice. "We work with all sorts of people, get into arguments, have to stand people we dislike or hate. Ninjas can't afford to let feelings like 'I don't like him' define everything about a relationship. Now, you don't like those you're teamed with? Your father didn't like one of them, and mine weren't my favorite people in the world. But you know what? Once we began to really work together, we actually became a good team, and our relationships got better. You should do the same."

_    Boy, I got more speeches about responsibility in the week since I've become a Genin than I've had ever since I can remember before that. Guess it comes with the headband or something._ Still, he couldn't find anything to retort to that, either. This was usual with his parents; they always seemed to know everything.

    As if on cue, his father walked up to the small wooden door leading from the street to the small garden. Jiraiya noticed that his mother always seemed to perk up just a little bit every time the older man was around. _And she says she didn't like him in her younger days...yeah right!_ he thought viciously, but took care not to say such a thing aloud. He wasn't reckless enough, or stupid enough for that matter, to bring both his parents down on him.

    "I thought I heard some screeching and grumbling around these parts." the white-haired chuunin said from atop his impressive height. "So, not too happy with your team-mates, are you?"

    "They're the worst, Dad!" Jiraiya griped, ignoring his mother's slight harrumphing noise, crossing his arms and trying to look full of ire. It didn't make much of an impression on the much taller and larger man, who only grinned.

    "What? You so sure about that?" his father mused. "You haven't even talked to either of them. You barely spoke to Orochimaru last night. Give those kids a chance. You might be surprised!"

    Jiraiya didn't think so. Orochimaru was the worst kind of guy, and that Tsunade seemed like a bunch of nerves ready to lash out to his mind. But he knew he'd have to cope. And his parents weren't siding with him at all on this, so... _Man, now I REALLY hope the Jounin we'll be training with is cool! _He hoped that particular prayer would be heard.

***

    The sun was shining, with only a few stray clouds to mar the scenery. The previous weeks had given a bounty of rain, so that the trees and plants of Konoha, after months of lethargy, had regained their full vigor. It was fair weather by all accounts, and many people were out to enjoy this fine day of early June.

    Or so it seemed to Jiraiya all the way into the Academy, right up to the time he had to sit with his team. As soon as he saw them - Orochimaru with the smug, collected face and Tsunade with her strange inner fire - he started to doubt that the day was fine after all. Still, they were his teammates, for well or ill. And he was willing to go with what his parents had kept telling him: to be nice and give them both a chance. _For now._

    So it was that, as he saw them waiting along the other teams, he only waved to them and decided to be polite.

    "Hey guys!" he said "Nice to see ya!"

    "...hello." was all that Orochimaru replied. Jiraiya glanced at him quizzically, but before he could say or do anything, he found himself face-to-face with a blonde force of nature. Tsunade glared right at him, thrust out a hand and poked him with a finger roughly. Her eyes were deadly serious even as she spoke, and Jiraiya's forced good manners began to crumble.

    "Let me get this straight with you, Jiraiya-_kun_," she snapped, twisting the normally endearing word into something insulting. "You better never use any of your tricks to ogle at me, or I swear I'll get you!"

    Jiraiya's good mood dissipated almost entirely. _What's her damn problem?!? Sure, I took some peeks, but not often enough to get that kind a treatment? Are girls always that weird, or she a unique type?_ Still, he tried to keep his good-natured facade.

    "Look. I was just curious those times. And besides-" he began, but she wasn't listening at all.

    "Now if you ever, EVER try to take a peek at me, I'll show just how great I am when it comes to hitting people!" Tsunade growled, still poking him. All remaining good intentions suddenly left Jiraiya entirely. _I'm all for trying it mom's way, but if that violent tomboy think she can boss me around, she'd better think again!_

    "FAH! As if I'd peek at someone like 'you'! You're just a flat-chested, boyish girl with a damn need to hit people for whatever reason! No one's gonna ever waste his time wanting to get a look at you!" _Damn, that felt goo,._ He thought, elated. It also belatedly reminded him just how violent Tsunade seemed to be the other day in class. By then, however, it was far too late. 

    And it was clear that he was about to have a rather discomforting encounter with that very violence. Momentarily shocked by his retort, Tsunade's mouth tightened, and he wouldn't have been surprised if flames had burst out of her eyes. This time, however, fate seemed to be smiling at him a little, for that was when Kou-Sensei entered, followed by eight other shinobi. The two had no choice but to sit down next to Orochimaru, who had been looking at the altercation both smugly, but also with a sense of strange yearning. Still, nothing prevented the two from glaring daggers at each other. _So much for mom and dad's idea. No way I'm being nice with weirdos like them!_

    Still, despite his irritation, he became interested in the five men and three women who stood slightly behind Kou-sensei. They didn't seem to be all that different from everyday shinobi at first sight. Some wore flak jackets, while some didn't. They had fit but rather ordinary bodies, and varied in everything from height to hair color. Ordinary shinobi, all wearing the headband of the Hidden Leaf somewhere, be it head, belt, arm or - in one case - a leg. 

    Or so it seemed on the surface.

    But when Jiraiya looked a little deeper, he could sense differences. Each of their poise spoke of experience, and a confidence that had come through strength and hardships. These were Jounin, some of the very strongest people of Konoha, who had done A and perhaps extra-hard S class missions. One of them seemed familiar though....

    Kou-sensei only coughed once in the relative silence of the room, and all noise settled. He then simply took a step forward and spoke as if he was doing a normal lecture, as he had many times during the academy days.

    "Welcome to you all." he said as severely as he ever did in class "Today you will meet the Jounin who have graciously accepted to act as you guides and masters. They will help you train your skills at Genin. From now on, _they _will be the rules you will have to follow. To all of you, good luck." he then stepped aside, and one of the Jounin stepped forth. He was a rather impressive man, with a strong body and a well-proportioned face topped by a braided mane of black hair. He was wearing the green flak vest with the headband located at his belt.

    "I am Atsuka Kai. From now on, I'll be taking care of Team One. Come with me." with that, he waited until Mizoshi and the others joined him, and they all departed. Jiraiya exchanged thumbs-up with his friend before he went out of the room, then waited expectedly. _I hope we get one of the women. Or at least that bald guy there, with the symbol on the leg. Seems fun enough._

    But when both Team Two and Three had gone, it wasn't a woman or the bald Jounin who came up. The one who came up was smaller than the others, and seemed almost frail when compared to the other men, even though he was obviously fit. Wearing a kimono, he had brown, spiky hair, a brown goatee and, if Jiraiya's keen eyesight didn't betray him, painted lines below his eyes. The young genin wondered why this man seemed so very familiar to him. _Where have I seen him before? I can't place him, but I keep getting that feeling that I met this guy somewhere. Bah, what a disappointment. He looks all small and puny._

    The goateed jounin stepped forth, gave Kou-sensei an amicable nod and faced the remaining students. 

    "Hello. My name is Kunido Sarutobi. I will be taking charge of Team Four. Come along please." He seemed both amiable and slightly chidding in his comment, as if he had expected them to move already. And who was to say? Maybe he was. 

    There was no choice for them. They couldn't afford to disobey the jounin who had been selected to teach and guide them. Jiraiya had heard of a few who had, and these had always been rejected. Not only from being a genin that time, but sometimes of ever being one. Jiraiya was no such fool. He stood up. Beside him, he heard Orochimaru and Tsunade do the same. As they descended the stairs down to their new sensei, all three simultaneously told the others a piece of his - or her - mind.

    "Pervert." Tsunade hissed.

    "Flat-chested tomboy!" Jiraiya growled.

    "Guys, please..." Orochimaru said, voice caught between condescension and odd begging.

    "BAH!" Both Tsunade and Jiraiya huffed, each looking a different way.

_    This is just great! Just friggin' great! And I just KNOW I've seen that Sarutobi guy before!_

***

    The jounin named Sarutobi didn't walk them far outside the academy. After a short stroll during which no one talked, they arrived at a small park. Finding a more secluded spot with two benches facing each other, the Jounin nodded as if everything fit the plan he had in his mind.

    "Good, good. No one is here. This is one of my favorite spots, you know. I always come here when I want to be alone. This will do nicely. Sit, sit." Sarutobi told them gently.

    None of them, after all the time sitting at the academy, felt a burning need to sit down. Jiraiya certainly didn't. The man had been firm, if gentle, however, and there was no doubt that there had been a command underlying the words. They sat, the white-haired boy trying to force his mind to tell him why this man seemed so familiar. It was becoming an obsession, and he was getting tired of wondering about the question.

    Sarutobi waited until they were seated - uncomfortably given their tense personal introductions earlier - and sat easily on the opposing bench. He gave them each a searching look, his eyes staying on each more than one moment. When it came his time, Jiraiya had to force himself not to look away. _Its like this guy can see right through me._ his mind breathed in wonder. The moment didn't last long, however, and soon the goateed jounin was nodding to himself.

    "I see, I see. Yes, maybe I can do something with you three. Maybe." Sarutobi grinned at that. "Well, lets see...tell me a bit about yourselves. What kind of person you are. Things you like, things you want to do. Something like that. A résumé, so to speak."

    "A résumé?" Orochimaru inquired.

    "Yes. Like, take myself. You know my name, but little else. I can tell you that I like spending time walking and reading. I can also tell you that I prefer to talk rather than fight. My goals...are my own for now, but I suppose I might tell you later on. If there is a later." the jounin said. Jiraiya wondered about that last statement, but before he could ask, the brown-haired man flicked a finger towards Orochimaru. "You...Orochimaru, isn't it? Anything you'd like to say?

    The pale genin only hesitated briefly before answering.

    "Little, I'm afraid... Sarutobi-sensei," Orochimaru began, getting used to the feeling of his new teacher's name. "I will only say that I intend to be...something other than this face. Something that makes people see anything else but what I look like." There was an earnestness about Orochimaru's wish, a driving fire which threw Jiraiya, reminding him of both the superior genin and the lonely boy stroking his headband as if that item was more precious than gold. The jounin blinked once, then nodded.

    "Then I think its time you dropped your guards around people. People see only the surface of those who hide their true selves. Now, Tsunade, what is your goal in life?" Sarutobi asked the blonde genin, not seeing - or perhaps choosing not to see - Orochimaru's momentarily narrowed, confused eyes. Tsunade, for her part, only grumbled under her breath, so much that not a word she said was distinguishable. The jounin actually leaned a bit closer. "Speak plainly, please."

    "Alright then!" Tsunade was suddenly on her feet, and both Jiraiya and Orochimaru edged away from her. Fire was in her eyes as she continued speaking. "Alright then, I'll tell you! I like Konoha, and my parents and my little brother! But I hate the way people look at me! So what if my grandpa was the bloody _First_? I never knew the guy, he was dead before I was born! Makes me sick. I'm gonna become as strong as he is, and get rid of his damn shadow!" And with that, she sat down and glared at Sarutobi with all of her might. _That girl...is crazy. _Jiraiya thought warily, and nothing came forth to contradict the statement.

    "A worthy goal." the jounin noted.

    "Huh?" Tsunade snapped, her expression nonplussed. She hadn't expected that reaction it seemed. _I didn't either, too. What a weird guy this jounin's turning out to be._

    "It's a worthy goal." Sarutobi mused again. "Not if it means diminishing your grandfather, who for all his flaws was a great man. But wising to build your own self, out of his deeds and exploits...that's very human. It can get you killed, however, if you try too hard."

    Tsunade was speechless. Sarutobi then grinned at Jiraiya directly. "So, it seems you graduated, after all, Jiraiya."

    It was then that Jiraiya's memory clicked with the face. Just before the Genin Exam, when he'd been running to it, he'd ran straight into a guy, and had opened his mouth before he'd had time to think. That man, who had been unknown to him, had given him his best, but had irked him by expressing some doubts as to whether he could pass. 

    "YOU! It was you before the Exam!" Jiraiya almost accused, pointing a finger at the jounin. _How come I didn't see it sooner? The goatee, the brown hair. That darn old geezer, with his doubting look! _"Well, I passed! See?"

    "I do. You did pass. Good for you. But watch your tone with me, or I might decide you're too immature to go on as a Genin." That shut Jiraiya as surely as a blow, and Sarutobi continued. "Now, what do you want to do now that you HAVE graduated?"

    "Simple. Go higher! As high and as good as I can!" the white-haired genin said proudly. He ignored Tsunade's doubtful look and Orochimaru's sigh. "I'm gonna show my father that he can be proud of his son!" He shut up, cheeks burning. He hadn't meant to say that. Not here. Not to them. But it seemed that this sentence satisfied the jounin more than anything else, for he nodded once more.

    "Well said. Well said indeed, but can you put up the necessary will to go through with that personal promise? I suppose we shall see." With that said, Sarutobi stood up. "Well, good enough."

    "What, that's it?" Tsunade blurted.

    Sarutobi only looked around him for a moment, as if considering. All around him, bushes and trees blooming to life rested. Here and there townspeople strolled up a cobbled way, or sat on benches. Jiraiya also noted one such family having a picnic on a large patch of clear grass. It seemed as if seeing the life around him galvanized the jounin, for he grinned, and looked at them with more than a little mischief in his eyes. It really didn't help Jiraiya's already unsettled peace of mind.

    "No, no! It's only beginning. Tomorrow we'll see if I'll take you as my team, or send you back to the academy." The jounin said lightly. The reaction was immediate. 

    "WHAT?" Jiraiya and Tsunade both screamed at the same time. Even Orochimaru looked unnerved by that, his smug mien cracked by the shock. 

    "But the Genin Exam!" Jiraiya exclaimed.

    "See that as a prelude. A prelude to MY test." Sarutobi said, and then his tone changed to one of strength and command. "Tomorrow, at five in the morning. Come to this place. And we will see." his tone became normal again, and his face lightened. "Well, dismissed for now. And see you tomorrow!"

    With that, the jounin walked off, strolling down one of the many footpaths in the park Jiraiya looked at his lousy teammates and saw the same look of confused apprehension on their faces. _I wanted a FUN jounin. Not a… a sadistic weirdo like that guy! _It looked like the game to become Genin was afoot one last time.

***

    Sarutobi didn't quite know what exactly had forced him into taking this assignment. Although he knew he had a facility for learning new jutsus, he had never felt that he had the necessary patience to teach others how to become able shinobis. Ever since he had become a Jounin nearly a decade before, he had rejected the possibility of teaching. As he walked from his meeting with the youths he was bound to test to another meeting, he wondered why that was.

    For the first few years, he supposed that it had been because the thrill of high-level missions had been too great to him. _But,_ he reminded himself, _that didn't last very long. After a while, even A-Rank missions get tedious. So what then?_ Ever since he had agreed to teach the three he'd met, he'd asked himself similar questions, without finding truly satisfactory answers. _Maybe there is none._

    He was musing about that as he walked through the streets leading to the Mount Hokage, near which the Second had called a meeting between certain jounins, including Sarutobi himself. As he passed, he looked at the huge carved portraits on the surface of the mountain. There, hung the faces of the First Hokage, Konoha's founder who had died when Sarutobi had been but a very young teenager. Next to it was the face of the Second, his own sensei and current leader of Konoha.

    And next to it... carvers had carved a rough shape, just a little higher than the Second's own face. It had been ordered done by his former sensei himself, an order which had sent wild rumours flying amongst all circles that the Second was about to leave his place to a Third Hokage.

    Sarutobi, being privy to more information than most, knew that the rumours were untrue. The Second was in full posession of his wits and still as powerful as he ever was. The old ninja had begun to feel fatigued because of age. but he was far from deciding to leave his position and go to a truly well-deserved retirement. He had told Sarutobi that he would not be choosing his successor for at least two, if not three years. _Just like Kenji-sensei to think things through. Preparing well in advance, always keeping options open. But never making any rash decision. _It was that confident wisdom which made his former sensei one of the few ninjas Sarutobi looked up to.

    His thoughts were interrupted as he felt chakkra near him. Powerful chakkra, set to attack. All idle thoughts left him as his opponent jumped from behind, aiming what Sarutobi guessed should be a kunai. _Fast. Very fast. __Jounin-level opponent. Must act quickly. _

    His opponent might have had the drop on just about anyone else. But Sarutobi had been the best genin, trained by the best shinobi in Konoha and had undertaken many high-risk missions in the last decade. His body moved at the same time as his instinct found the necessary tactic, taking a suden small leap back while reaching for the attacker's hand. Once done, he pulled while channeling chakkra to prevent torn muscle, forcing his opponent down in front of him, twisting its hand and taking the kunai as his own in the same flow. Before the opponent could react further, he had one arm around its neck, prepared to break it with but one expert twist, the other holding the kunai poised.

    Before he could ask any question, however, the enemy spoke.

    "Not bad! Not bad at all, Saru-kun! Its nice to see that your skill hasn't diminished in the last three months!" The figure chuckled in a recognizable feminine voice, and Sarutobi released the person in surprise. The 'enemy' stood at once and removed her hood, revealing a rather pretty face with short, wavy black hair. Dressed in the colours of the village's shinobis, the woman sported her symbol around her forehead.

    "A...Ayako!" Sarutobi stuttered. The woman chuckled again in delight, then came forth and threw her arms around him. He responded in kind at once, feeling her presence with mixed emotions where joy, anger and relief were prominent.

    "Missed me, Saru-kun?" She teased.

    "You know I did, Ayako." _And I almost want to hit you for going off without saying anything, you thoughtless woman. But that can wait. _"Three months without you was a long time." _Oh, the understatement of the decade, Sarutobi! Both for the anger and the loneliness._

    "Saru-kun, you do know how to make a woman feel wanted." she said, and kissed him gently on the lips. A short kiss, too short for his liking, but one he enjoyed nonetheless before they broke apart, staring at each other intently. Ayoko, for all of her talents, was oblivious to other people's feelings. She didn't mean to get people hurt in anyway, but often did. He still loved her, but more often then not found her large but blind intelligence frustrating, if stimulating.

    "Shall we go?" Iwadaka Ayako, powerful jounin and Sarutobi's fiancée, gave him an appealing wink and pointed towards the place where the jounins would meet the Second. "I have many things to tell you about Mist Village. And I can't wait to bug that boot-licking Kai!"

    "Always the same, I see. Well, lead on!" He began walking beside her. Suddenly the meeting lost some of its importance. _To be back so early, and Kenji-sensei calling jounins together. Musn't be good news. But it doesn't matter! She's back. And I've got things to settle with her before we get into the happier parts._

    He almost forgot that he had to see if three children were fit to become his first students. That, too, lost some of its importance, in the joy - and frustration - of the moment, even as his mind knew that Ayako's tidings probably meant dark clouds on Konoha's horizon. 


	3. Chapter Three

_    There is a time to fight. There is a time to retreat. There is a time to defend. There is a time to attack. There is a time to make war._

_    Wise is the man who can determine when there is a time to make peace._

-The Second Hokage

Future Legends

Chapter Three

    Night had fallen upon the lively town of Otafuku. However, since the city was a haven of bars, clubs, gambling houses, brothels and even less respectable establishments, it meant little. Already lively during the day, it was far more animated when dark came. It meant that those who preferred a good time to a quiet time could do so whenever they wished, as long as they wished.

    It was just as well for Mishiko Tsunade. To her, fun and games was the way to be. She enjoyed walking around, shopping, sightseeing and, most of all, gambling. For years, gambling had been her focus and her passion, the only thing which seemed to fill the emptiness within her heart, left hollow as it had been by the deaths of the two men she had loved more than any other.

   She had come to enjoy the game and all that it stood for because of this pleasure it brought her.

    Therefore, it was really a shame that she was so unskilled at it.

    "Bah! Just bad luck, just bad luck, is all!" Tsunade crowed as she excitedly walked out of one more gambling den, her attire and ample figure drawing looks from all male onlookers. '_Heh. All of you, giving those types of looks to an old woman like me, eh? Guess I haven't lost the touch!'_ If a part of her mind tried to remind her that her outward looks were maintained only through her own specialized jutsus, she utterly and joyfully ignored it.

    "Tsunade-sama, please! This is the third place tonight! Please be sensible!" Shizune, the pretty ninja who happened to be both Tsunade's friend and helper, didn't share her enthusiasm, which came as no surprise to the living legend. '_Shizune-chan, Shizune-chan, what would I do without you?' _she thought fondly. For all of her bravado and enthusiasm, Tsunade was glad that this young woman took the trouble to help her day by day. '_Of course, I can't embarrass us both by saying that, can I?'_

    "Aw, come on, Shizune-chan!" Tsunade whirled on her feet perfectly; her balance kept automatically from years of practice, and playfully poked the younger woman on the nose, uncaring of the scene she was making. "The night is just beginning! We have time to do at least three more places! Then we'll eat! Then we'll party even more!"

    She then burst out laughing. Almost viciously so. This time the stares were somewhat fearful, and the great ninja's expert ears caught Shizune's resigned sigh.

    "So irresponsible sometimes." she heard. _Heh. Heard that before. Sarutobi-sensei often said things like that. _The thought stopped her, and she slowed her walk for a moment, surprised by the sudden ache in her heart. '_Dammit, Third. I couldn't return to Konoha. Not even for your funeral. Too many ghosts there. Too much pain. Forgive me, sensei.'_

"Tsunade-sama? Are you alright?" Shizune asked worriedly, and Tsunade realized she'd been staring at empty space. She gave a laugh to shake her sadness off a bit.

    "Yeah, yeah! Don't worry about me, Shizune. Just had some funks and went down memory lane." she realized that her words didn't make much sense, yet she found no better way to tell of her feelings.

    The two walked down the packed street easily enough. For all of her perkiness and outward cheerfulness, Tsunade wasn't feeling very happy, and people subconsciously felt the danger her presence represented. She bumped into a large man, who snarled something, locked eyes with her for an instant, and wisely decided not to make a big deal out of the altercation.

    '_Just as well, kiddo. Just as well. I may just have been tempted to fight you if you'd asked.' _she thought darkly, then realized where her thoughts were leading. '_Always coming back to violence. That's what I'm good at, isn't it? For all of my medical skills and healing jutsus, I was and still am far too much of a taijutsu-loving combat fan. Guess you can't change your basic self.' _She whirled again, managing to startle her younger friend.__

"Hey, Shizune!" The aging female of the famed Three Ninjas said, her playful tone almost genuine.

    "Yes, Tsunade-sama?" There was caution in Shizune's answer.

    "Let's go get a drink! Right now!" Not waiting for an answer - and not paying attention to Shizune's protests as she dragged the helper along - Tsunade entered the nearest bar and ordered a full bottle of sake and two drinking cups.

    Within moments they were seated at the bar. While Shizune barely touched her own drink, Tsunade drunk at least five, straight up. She then gave the dark-haired woman a thoughtful glance.

    "Shizune-chan." Tsunade asked, her tone only slightly giddy. "Ever heard of how the Third Hokage was like?"

    "Ah, Tsunade-sama. I didn't have the honour of knowing the Third very well. I did talk with the Fourth a few times, before..." Shizune fell silent, and Tsunade could easily finish the sentence. '_Before he died. The Third and the Fourth, dying for a dream. Now all we can do is remember them and mourn the fact that they're lost. Is that truly what you wanted to be, Dan my love? A man bound to a village, bound to one day die for it?'_

"Yes, well. The night is young. And I think, since Sarutobi-sensei's not here anymore, I might tell a bit about him." The problem was, she didn't know exactly what to talk about. Her most recent memories of herself and the Third were by no means happy ones. They'd parted on tense terms, leaving things unsaid. She'd said hurtful things, too. Things she hadn't meant and would never be able to take back. She didn't want to dwell on the mean times.

    Shizune, however, seemed to be suddenly thoughtful. Tsunade gave her another look.

    "What is it? Got an idea?" the legendary jounin asked.

    "No. Ah, not really. But I wondered, at times." Shizune seemed to take a mental breath. "You, Jiraiya-sama and Orochimaru. You were trained by the Third, no? How was it like?

    Tsunade stared at Shizune an instant. Then, fast as lighting, she passed her arm around her friend's neck and gave her a firm but playful squeeze. Her mirth returned as the idea pleased her, and she laughed.

    "Yeah! Sarutobi as a sensei!" she shouted triumphantly, largely unheard in the din. "That's worth telling! I'll do that." She cupped her hands pensively, looking down into her sake, and finally looked at Shizune with a ready expression and a slight grin.

    "I'll tell you about Sarutobi-sensei. I remember that I hated things in those days, when the Second still ruled Konoha. One of my teammates was an arrogant genin and the other a certified pervert. As for Sarutobi himself, he seemed like a small, uptight man. I didn't like him. Heck, I didn't like most things in those days. I was irritated at almost everything. Found fun in nothing except bitching. I guess the first time I was made to realize that a bit was the day after Sarutobi became our sensei. His test. That was the first time, yeah. I think."

_38 years earlier..._

    Tsunade yawned loudly as she murkily shuffled towards her front door. She didn't have much time before the test with the new, small and thoroughly irritating sensei her team had, but somehow fatigue prevented much trepidation. It would come later, she knew. '_Yeah, when the test begins. But damn, did that old guy have to start things 'this' early?'_

    It was early, but Tsunade knew that her father was long gone already, and wouldn't be back until the evening. As for her mother, she was already up and quite awake, quietly reading a book in the living room. To Tsunade, that was quite a sight, and the sight of her mother's swelled belly was even more staggering. '_Mom and dad gotta be kidding! Like I need some brat following me everywhere!'_

She didn't truly mean it. In fact, a small part of Tsunade's mind was thrilled by the idea of having a younger sibling. But that was on the good days. And this day, to her at least, was nothing but a big bother. '_Maybe I should hit that Jiraiya guy's stupid face,' _she thought viciously as she passed her mother, '_Might make me feel a bit better. Get some heat off.'_

"I heard Sarutobi will test you today." her mother said mildly.

    "Yeah, mom." Tsunade answered tiredly. The older woman nodded and looked up from her book with a stern expression.

    "Then don't forget who you are. If you fail, it will be quite a blow to the family's reputation. Just keep that in mind."

    "Yeah, yeah, I got it!" Tsunade couldn't help but let some resentment slip out as she heard the warning she'd come to despise. "Got to protect the Mishiko Clan's big reputation. Who cares if granddad's dead and buried? We still got to act as if we're all as big as he was! Well, see you later!"

    "Tsunade...!" Her mother exclaimed, but by then Tsunade slammed the front door and, within moments, was out of sight of her house.

    She'd get yelled at for that verbal sortie later, she knew. '_And I don't care. I don't care if grandpa was the big guy who built this place, or the best ninja ever, or whatever stories they keep telling about him! He's dead! And I'm sick of him and the way people think he was all that!' _Her parents, however, took the clan's standing very seriously. Although she loved them and knew they loved her, it still made it hard to deal with their expectations at times.

    She hotly hit a tree on the way, releasing some of the renewed pressure and tension the small conversation had given birth to, but nothing seemed able to stop the core of bitterness and anger which had built up inside of her for so long. So bothered was she still that she didn't see the streets, or the few people walking about. She stalked her way to the park, and only realized she was there when she heard a familiar voice.

     "Aw, man! Where's that geezer? And where's that flat-chested tomboy?"

    As she heard the last words, Tsunade's already irritated mood surged up to full anger, and she quickly made her way around the trees to the secluded spot, her fists clenched. She quickly spotted two familiar figures. Orochimaru and Jiraiya were talking, and the pale-faced genin saw her come around even as Jiraiya kept ranting in front of him. A part of her wondered why he never warned the white-haired boy about her arrival. However, she immediately dismissed it even as she grabbed a surprised recent teammate and forced him face to face with her.

    "You called me a tomboy? You think a lousy lecher like you can get away with that?" She knew that she wasn't wishing for anything else but a reason to hit something, and she quickly had it as Jiraiya's expression changed from stupefaction to a stubborn look.

    "Yeah, I think I can get away with that. Tomboy!" He seemed ready to sneer at her, and his mocking tone was more than she could take. Orochimaru stepped towards them.

    "Hey, now, that's not really-" but whatever he was about to say went unheard Tsunade raised her voice over his quieter one.

    "Pervert!!" Tsunade hissed.

    "Tomboy!!" Jiraiya sneered right back.

    That was it. The day had been bad enough already without Jiraiya's taunts. Now, the pressure she felt, added to her problems with her parents, and finally his jibes, cut directly into the red haze inside her mind. Her fist flew. Jiraiya proved himself to be faster than she expected, narrowly avoiding the blow and pushing himself away. A tense moment followed, with all three looking at each other cautiously. Tsunade saw that Orochimaru wore a strange, mixed expression of sadness and scorn, a bitter smirk barely touching his lips.

    The tense moment, however, was broken as they all heard Sarutobi humming as he came walking up the path. At once Tsunade and Jiraiya dropped their angry stances - although not without giving each other a good glare - while Orochimaru nervously brushed his kimono even as the jounin entered the scene.

    The man who was to be their sensei entered the spot with an easy step. He seemed almost surprised to see them there. Or so Tsunade judged from the way his eyebrows momentarily lifted. '_Means he doesn't know his students almost fought. Good. Pressure's bad enough as it is, dammit! ' _The jounin didn't seem to notice the tension between the tree, either. '_Is he serious? I was always told jounin could tell everything without even looking! Maybe those guys are just overrated.'_

"Ah. I see you're all there. Good, good. Did you guys have a good rest?" Before anyone could answer, he continued as if the question hadn't been important. "Well, since we know each other a bit, and you've had time to bond a little more, I think we can cut to the important part right now."

     Tsunade glared daggers at the man. '_Is he just being stupid, or does it come naturally? I can't believe that's what a jounin's supposed to be!'_ The others also only shifted and looked on, not giving an answer. It didn't seem to have any effect on the man. He rose and gave them a look. It wasn't anything special. Not on the surface. Yet, all at once, Tsunade's heart began to beat faster, and she was filled with the certainty that this was it: she had to pass this, or she would fail. The feeling stayed as the man dropped his gaze, a grin gracing his lips for a mere instant.

   "Well, let's go, let's go." Was all Sarutobi said.

   ' _I won't fail. I can't. If I fail...'_ She didn't allow herself to finish that thought. She knew how it would be if she failed. It would have made most others despair.

    But instead of despair, Tsunade only felt a fresh surge of anger.

    Konoha's walls were very large, thick and defended by manned towers judiciously placed at regular intervals. The wall itself was a wide circle only broken by the looming Mt Hokage. The circle itself allowed the construction and expansion of Konoha itself in relative safety. Tsunade had been told that the town had once been only a collection of ramshackle houses, until the First Hokage secured it and many skilled craftsmen and workers came looking for a safe ground and built up a true village.

    Tsunade also knew, from her father, that Konoha only took about half of the given ground within that circle, although new building grounds were given every few years. Outside the streets of Konoha, some parts of the wilderness had been changed into parks and relaxation spots. But other areas had been kept a bit more primal, and were used by the ninjas for different tests and exercises. It was to one such clearing, a good long walk away, that Sarutobi took them.

    "This place is quite near the Hyuuga Clan's lands." Orochimaru noted. Tsunade couldn't believe how the pale-faced Genin could manage to sound both vulnerable and self-confident at the same time, but he did. He was harder to pinpoint then the annoying Jiraiya, and that in itself was just as irritating.' _The world is just a lousy place made to irritate me. That's all!'_

    "Yes, quite right, Orochimaru." Sarutobi answered easily "They often use this place to train. But I've gotten them to lend it to me for my test."

    "So, what's the test gonna be about, ol-Sarutobi-sensei?" Jiraiya asked loudly, almost slipping and covering up quite badly. The Jounin acted as if the slip never happened.

    "Its a very simple test, really. Simple, yet crucial. And to pass it, you need only one thing: get me down to the ground."

    The three looked at each other blankly, then up at the jounin, then back at themselves. Tsunade saw from their expression that what she'd heard was right, and that they had problems believing it as well.

    "What? Get you down once? That's all?" Tsunade snapped.

    "Yes. But then again, I'm only giving you three hours to do it. I have other obligations today, and I'm not going to start really teaching you until tomorrow. 'If' you can manage to get me down. I can tell you its possible. There's a way to do it." The jounin's eyes narrowed "We begin now. Come at me." Without warning, he gave all three of them a small push in one lightning move, pushing them in different directions.

    Tsunade was surprised - to say the least - as she managed to stop herself and regain her balance. 'T_hat push looked puny, but it pushed all of us, what, fifteen meters away? So that's how strong a jounin is.' _Suddenly, the test no longer looked like it would be that easy. She saw that the others had also managed to regain their feet, and were looking at Sarutobi more carefully then before. Careful or not, however, it didn't seem to stop Jiraiya's annoying attitude.

   "Alright, then! If that's the way it is, here I come, geezer!" The white-haired boy, shouted, and his hands quickly began forming seals. She barely recognized the jutsu. But then again, ninjutsu had never been Tsunade's forte at all. Sarutobi, for his part, looked on serenely, making no move to attack or defend.

    "Katon! Kakyuu No Jutsu!" Jiraiya called, and a ball of fire emerged from his mouth. Sarutobi looked at it as it came. And even as it was about to hit him, he appeared somewhere else, well out of the way. The fire jutsu crashed into a tree. However, due to it having been made out of chakra, it didn't take hold, and wafted away in smoke. The jounin looked at the spot he'd been standing on, and shook his head.

    "Not too bad for a genin. But if you think this is enough to put me down -" Jiraiya charged, only to find himself evaded and kicked once on the behind to make him sprawl. "-Then you're sadly mistaken." As he talked, his defence dropped only the tiniest bit.

    '_Now! He's made an opening! I'll take the bastard on!' _A large part of her mind didn't mind hurting the sanctimonious older man. Her own chakra filled her limbs as she launched herself in the air, her leg extending to kick at the brown-haired jounin. In her class, she had been the strongest. No one was able to fight a physical fight as well as she did, and she was confident about her chances of success. If Orochimaru had been known as a star student, she'd been known as a very mean fighter.

    That confidence evaporated as, to her dismay, the jounin easily sidestepped the blow, took hold of her leg and a quick shove from his other arm in her own back forced her into another direction. She came crashing down on the ground. Only her instincts and the training forced upon her at the academy allowed her to roll, averting much damage, and eventually find her feet once more.

    '_I didn't see it coming here, either! This isn't fair! How can we beat a damned jounin by ourselves?' _Her mind once again began to cloud, and she glared daggers at the adult.

    "Why are you so mad?" Sarutobi asked. "You didn't think a straightforward attack like yours would work, did you? I've faced far worse, kid." He then looked to the side and raised an eyebrow. "My, that's rather impressive, I must admit, Orochimaru."

    Tsunade followed the look and gasped, her eyes not believing what they were seeing. Nearby, instead of one Orochimaru, stood what appeared to be at least a dozen. Still, her eyes seemed to be playing tricks with her, as the numbers and positions of each replication seemed to shift. She blinked, rubbed her eyes as a headache began to form just by looking at the display. Nearby, she heard Jiraiya grunt in confusion, and she realized he was probably feeling the same thing she was. Genjutsu, her mind told her.

    "Yes, that's an impressive jutsu there. I'm surprised you can pull it off. However-" Sarutobi broke off and disappeared just as Orochimaru appeared from behind, kunai in hand and struck. Before the pale genin could regroup, the jounin reappeared just behind and swiftly kicked the boy away. The snake-like genin also flew a few feet, landing and rolling, his yellow eyes wide in disbelief. The dozen or so apparitions vanished.

    "However, the jutsu is easy to do with one or two simple hand seals, and easy to penetrate with those with a minimum of genjutsu experience." Sarutobi said, standing easily. Almost seeming bored. "Is that it? You think you can defeat me like this? This is foolish. It isn't how its done. If that's all you can do, go home."

    "Go home?" The comment came from Orochimaru, who, for a moment, looked stricken. Loneliness and despair were etched on his face, so strongly that it pierced the dark cloud of anger in Tsunade's mind. Then he bared his teeth, and there was a world of bitterness in that. Bitterness, stubbornness, arrogance and, most of all, hurt. For a moment, the blonde genin felt pity towards the pale boy.

    "You crazy old man!" Jiraiya shouted, "I'm not going back home before you go down!" Tsunade growled her agreement while Orochimaru only nodded sharply. It seemed to please the jounin, who took a slight defensive stance.

    "Then, come at me with all your fire. Try. And succeed." he told them calmly.

     Without waiting for the others, Tsunade took hold of her inner rage and channelled it with her chakra, speeding towards the jounin as the thought of failure and what it would mean egged her on. Sarutobi, seemingly unconcerned, only waited as the attacks began anew.

    Tsunade crashed into a tree. This time, she was unable to prevent anything, and the contact with the hard wood hurt. She gave a muffled yell and fell on the ground. Shame and anger filled her when she realized she was incapable of rising at once. She glared up at her supposed future sensei, who only looked back calmly.

    "Really, this is beginning to get tedious." the man said, stroking his goatee. "Two hours nearly passed, and you still don't get the point. Maybe I am truly wasting my time here."

    There was nothing she could say to that. All she knew was that her attack had had no effect. None of her attacks, and none of those Jiraiya and Orochimaru had tried, had been successful in breaching the jounin's seemingly impregnable defences. It seemed that, whatever each of them tried, Sarutobi had a way of effortlessly deflecting or foiling it. After two hours, he wasn't even breathing hard, and hadn't lost the mildly bored expression he'd first worn. Only recently it was tinged with irritation, as if they were too slow to understand something simple.

    Tsunade painfully came to her feet, and found them to be slightly trembling. '_Damn. The chakra I used for my attacks, it's sucking up my energy._ _Can't believe even a jounin can take attacks coming from three people and still be able to look bored about it!'_

    It didn't mean she was giving up, however. She couldn't. For all of her despising her parent's demands with her at times, she knew she wouldn't be able to stand seeing them disappointed if she failed. '_Father took time to teach me taijutsu, and mother taught me some chakra control. I can't fail. I can't!' _Her mind ranted, fatigued, angry and worried. She bared her teeth at the jounin, who gave a slight nod in response.

   "Determination like that is good. It's a start. But its not the solution, only a means." he shrugged and chuckled. "Or so the Second kept telling me."

    "Shut up! I don't care if the Second told you that the damn sky is green and found a way to prove it! It's my future you're treating like that! And I'm not letting you ruin it!" '_I _will _surpass the First. I'll do better than grandpa did and stop living in that shadow of his!'_

    "Really? Well, then, perhaps you should..." before Sarutobi could say what Tsunade should do or not, a small round object plopped between them and immediately exploded in a cloud of smoke. At once, arms seized her, and she found herself dragged away. Out of the clearing, into the thickest part of the trees. So sudden was it that it took her a moment before realizing her position. When she did, her mind went as red as a flame.

    "Let go of me, you! Or I swear I'll kick your asses!" Tsunade screamed.

    "Shut up, flat-chested tomboy!" A voice she recognized as Jiraiya's snapped. She blinked in sudden surprise as she was suddenly released. In an instant, driven by the sudden surge of adrenaline, she was on her feet and facing both Orochimaru and Jiraiya. Both boys looked dishelved and tired. Both, however, had a desperate determination in their eyes.

    "I hope you guys aren't thinking weird things." she muttered darkly. Orochimaru looked creepy on a good day, and Jiraiya's reputation was well established despite his youth. Her comment only seemed to annoy them, which in turn heightened her own annoyance.

    "What, are you stupid? Who'd want to do weird things with a tomboy like you?" Jiraiya growled.

    "Well, ex-cuse me, mister pervert!" The blonde genin snapped.

    "Listen you!" Jiraiya growled, but then Orochimaru stepped forth, his eyes looking at the place they'd just left.

    "This useless talk'll have to wait. He's coming. Lets move!" Without adding anything else, he jumped through the branches away from the jounin, followed by a glaring pair of team-mates. '_Since when does that snake-guy think he's the boss?' _she asked herself irritably. Still, she strove to maintain her speed; easily stepping from branch to branch as she'd been trained to do ever since she was a child.

    "We need to talk." Orochimaru said, almost shy in the way he expressed himself, yet firm as steel. "This can't go on like this. If it continues, we'll just tire ourselves."

    "Doesn't take a genius to see that!" Tsunade snapped. "Got any ideas instead?"

    She had meant that as a challenge, one that would only infuriate her supposed pale teammate. So she was rather surprised when she saw Orochimaru nod vaguely.

   "Just an outline. We can only get one good attack in yet. We need to make it count. That's why I'm proposing we attack him at the same time." The snake-faced genin mused. It didn't take Jiraiya long for him to blow up in response. '_Jiraiya. Why can't that guy shut up!'_

"That's so stupid! So what if we attack at the same time. The way he's been beating us around, it won't take him a minute to beat us! We can't get him!"

    "We can't defeat him." Orochimaru nodded as he said this. "But we don't have to. We just have to get him down. Once."

    Tsunade forced herself to calm down. Not easy, given the last hours and having another tell things she should have kept clear in her own mind - which was, by itself, irritating. He was right, however. They hadn't been told to defeat Sarutobi. Just momentarily take the upper hand. '_He wouldn't have given us that assignment if he didn't believe we could do it.'_

    "Maybe we've been going at this the wrong way." she mused aloud. Seeing the other two looking at her intently, she continued. "We attacked him the way we were trained, but not the way he wants to train us."

    "What do you mean?" Jiraiya snapped hotly. Orochimaru gave him a slight, scorn-filled smirk.

    "We've been attacking the jounin by ourselves. That's a flaw. We don't have the individual skills. If, however, we could merge our strong points..." The pale genin said.

    "We'd get him!" the white-haired boy shouted in excitement. "Lets do this, then! We get one shot in all together!"

    The three continued to talk, comparing what they'd seen. Tsunade was surprised on how easily they managed to exchange weaknesses and strengths. Her distrust was still present, but it was all supersede by one, driving desire: success. All her life, she'd been pressured into succeeding. Success was the only way to go. On that level, if nothing else, she suddenly found herself with kindred spirits.

    The three exchanged, argued, planned, and finally agreed. It was a makeshift plan, and one she didn't have much faith in. But it was the best they could do given the situation. She saw one thought in Jiraiya's eyes and also in Orochimaru's: this was the last chance.

    And it 'had' to work.

    '_This is a really lousy plan.' _Tsunade reflected to herself. '_But it's all we've got left.' _Still, waiting in the middle of the forest for a jounin to come wasn't her idea of fun. She couldn't believe that Sarutobi would simply fall into the trap. Whatever happened, luck had to help them or it would soon be over for all of them.

    '_I won't fail. I can't. And I think these two guys think the same way. Maybe, just maybe, we can pull this off.' _She didn't allow herself the luxury of thinking how measly that maybe sounded.

    It didn't take long before her senses felt a presence of sorts. While she and the others had been doing their best to hide their own strength through every bit of training they could remember, that person was walking without even masking himself. '_Is that just lame overconfidence? For some reason, I don't think so.'_

    Below her, the jounin came into sight, and immediately looked up. His lips stirred in a faint grin, and Tsunade's heart began to beat faster than ever. No matter how hard they'd hidden, he'd detected them. Not that it mattered. Not with this plan.

    "Well." Sarutobi said mildly. "How about coming down and finishing this? I haven't got all day." He sounded as if he were doing them all a large favour and that they should be thankful for it. Tsunade fought to keep a tight rein on her temper, but it was proving increasingly difficult with each syllable the man uttered. '_Keep cool, keep cool.' _she repeated to herself. '_He's just trying to goad us. And dammit, he's succeeding!' _Tsunade knew how easily she could be taken into a fight. Still, she fought with it, until she heard Jiraiya's voice.

    "Alright, geezer! Lets get it on!" the white-haired genin bellowed, dropping from the trees in front of the jounin. Orochimaru dropped behind, while Tsunade, sighing in both resignation and anticipation, dropped to the side. All three surrounded the man. And she knew they had absolutely no chance of doing any significant damage. The Jounin looked at the three around him and nodded.

    "Planning to fight me three-on-one? Not the worst idea. But with your levels, do you really think you can pull this off?" he stated calmly, scratching his goatee.

    "Shut the fuck up!" Jiraiya growled, shaking a fist. "I'm not failing your test! 'We're' not failing! Let's go!"

    Tsunade nodded fiercely, and launched herself towards the Jounin. She kicked at him with all of her remaining strength, but he met her easily, blocking the kick with his forearm and retaliating with a palm strike. She hit the ground, rolled, came back on her feet, whirled around and threw herself into the fray again. She launched kunais at him, which he dodged without a problem, and she concentrated her chakra into a trademark taijutsu move.

    "Konoha senpuu!" She cried, and her chakra-filled movement gained momentary strength and momentum. It almost seemed as if he was surprised by her move, yet he managed to evade it nonetheless. She gave the jounin a feral grin, panting hard from the exertion.

    "The fun's only beginning, old man!" She growled, and as the words came out, Orochimaru and Jiraiya also joined in the attack.

    Both attacked with physical attacks. Both were skilled, but lacked the taijutsu learning Tsunade had. Although outnumbered two-to-one, the jounin managed to block, evade, retreat, advance and retaliate in one flow. It was so different from the small, chiding man who'd first met them that she shivered. There was cold calculation in each movement. This was a jounin fighting. '_We're just outclassed. And I'm betting he's holding back plenty.'_

    Yet, there was nothing to do but fight.

    Finally, both Orochimaru and Jiraiya broke up, and she stepped forward again. Her body was beginning to ache all over, and her chakra was almost spent. Yet she wouldn't show it. She wouldn't allow herself. Instead, she gave a yell and charged. The jounin turned his head to look at her for a moment. And that was when Jiraiya's voice was heard again from behind.

    "Katon!" Jiraiya said, and at that moment Sarutobi whirled around, lunged shortly and hit the white-haired boy even as he was forming seals. The jounin looked perfectly calm. A state, which changed when Jiraiya's voice continued, coming from Orochimaru's place. Realization flashed in the jounin's eyes. "Kakyuu No Jutsu!" the apparition said, reverting to Jiraiya's form as the groggy other reverted to Orochimaru's. A burst of flame spewed forth and hit the ground right at Sarutobi's feet. Who, for an instant, almost lost his footing.

    Before he could regain it, Orochimaru had thrown himself low, at Sarutobi's ankles, while Tsunade gathered the rest of her strength and propelled herself right at the goateed.

    "We're passing this thing, bastard!" she said just as she made contact. The momentum carried both her and the surprised jounin down, where they thudded on the floor. '_We did it!'_ her mind screamed in elation. '_We did what he wanted! We passed! We passed!'_

And then Sarutobi disappeared in a cloud of chakra-filled smoke, and Tsunade fell to the ground with another thud. She grunted in extreme surprise, and lay sprawled on the floor, only raising herself as Jiraiya and Orochimaru came near, also spent.

    "What...what did he do." Jiraiya asked. His face was pale, and he was panting the hardest. The fire attack had used up a lot of his energy. "Did we fail?"

    Tsunade shook her head. The plan, as makeshift as it had been, hadn't been that bad: Get near the jounin. Have Tsunade attack strongly for a moment, forcing his attention away. Then Orochimaru used genjutsu to alter both his and Jiraiya's appearances, and both would attack to keep the man from noticing any differences. Then Tsunade would act as a decoy, allowing Jiraiya to attack point-blank by fooling the jounin's senses for an instant. '_And it worked! We had him down!'_

"This can't be...is that...a shadow clone?" Orochimaru muttered. "I've heard rumours."

    "You got it. You're really impressive for knowing that much, kid." Sarutobu said, and they turned to see him leaning against a tree, looking back at them with interest. Tsunade fell to her knees. '_We were...just fighting a replication there. We used up all of our chakra. Its over.' _The realization created an emptiness within her, an ache which was surprisingly violent. Beside her, she vaguely saw Jiraiya's fists tremble. The jounin kept looking at them, then finally gave a chuckle.

    "I swear, that was a pretty nice plan for a bunch of genins. Desperate but ingenious. Never would have worked. But then again, you were never supposed to really succeed. Doesn't matter. You'll have time to learn to use that thing you finally created. I'll help you out as much as I can. Might be," and he gave a wistful grin "interesting."

    "W-what are you saying?  We didn't manage to get you. Just a clone." Tsunade gave the jounin a disbelieving stare even as she spoke

    "Yes. But you got me together. Together. Like a team should. I don't care that you failed to fight effectively. You made your stand together. That's good enough for me." he cleared his throat. "Congratulations, Team Four. From now on, I'll be your sensei."

    She heard Jiraiya give a loud, disbelieving yell of victory. She also heard Orochimaru's shaky outtake of breath. They didn't seem to matter. For herself, all she managed to do, with the sudden recovery of her feelings, was to hold her head in both hands. And laugh softly to relieve the stressful moment until she felt sane again.

    Which, given the way the day had been, might take a little while.


	4. Chapter Four

_    To be an Hokage? Well, I'm not sure. But the way I see it, an Hokage has to be ready to give a lot to the village. More than any other ninja. He must be ready to give of his time, of his attention. Of his love, even. I think an Hokage is someone who sees Konoha as something as important, or perhaps even more important, than his own self._

_    This is why I'm really wondering what I'm doing here..._

_-The Fifth Hokage_

Future Legends

Chapter Four__

    If there was something about Konoha's ninjas, it was that they liked to do things early in the morning. It was at least the impression Tsunade had. Her father was always up at the crack of dawn, training for an hour outside, before going back in, take a shower and a bite, and finally leave for work. It had been a tradition when she had been little to watch him from her window, working out as he did near the garden.

    'Yeah, it looked fine while I was only looking at it from inside.' she reflected grumpily as she trudged along the road to the bridge, which had become the team's meeting place. 'But now, with Sarutobi-sensei on our case all the time, I'm beginning to wonder what's good about early training!'

    Good or not, the jounin had been adamant. Every morning she, that pesky Jiraiya and that downright creepy Orochimaru had to be at the bridge, ready for their lesson. Every time, the training was hard, mainly focused on endurance. There were no breaks, no stop, while Sarutobi molded their bodies to what he kept calling 'adequate fitness'.

    "There's no way you'll last in a mission with unprepared bodies such as yours. Forget learning techniques before you understand your own physical selves." The goateed man kept reminding them. Each time, Tsunade's blood boiled, one more thing amongst many angering her. Tsunade knew that her anger was a weakness, but didn't care. 'Better to be angry all the time. It's better than that endless pressure. That endless judgement.'

    She finally arrived at the bridge - a tall, large span of carved wood - where her sensei and her teammates were - to her ire and discomfort - already waiting for her. She ground her teeth as she approached. Sarutobi was leaning against the wooden rail, gazing at the slow water, while Orochimaru seemed to work on his headband with a cloth and Jiraiya walked to and fro, impatient as always. He was the one who reacted to her presence first, pointing at and walking towards her.

    "You're late, tomboy! This sucks! Why are you always late like that? Your house's pretty near too!" he griped.

     All true, and she couldn't deny it. But the tone had the wrong effect on her already dangerously frayed temper. Finding a suitable outlet at last, she lashed out at once.

    "For someone who takes a nap every now and then, you sure talk big, snowball! But then again, talking is all you can do, isn't it?" she spat, thrusting her face near his.

    His eyes showed a most satisfactory amount of wounded pride, and immediate ire at the 'snowball' comment. Although Jiraiya was proud of his father's family - of which Tsunade had admittedly heard only good things about - it was common knowledge at the academy that he hated his white hair, a trait that most Futemas shared. She waited for the comeback she felt certain the genin boy was preparing, relishing the thought of a verbal spar. However, Sarutobi took that moment to intervene.

    "Hey, hey. That's enough of that. It's too early for me to have your two fighting already. I can see you still have ways to go before accepting the idea that you're team-mates." he said, his voice tired and slightly more strained than usual.

    Tsunade frowned, and saw both Jiraiya and Orochimaru give the jounin a look. The man had been somewhat tense in the last few days. And come to think of it, so had her father. It was like the older ninjas knew something they didn't. Another war brewing up, maybe. There were many rumours of those recently.

    War. Tsunade involuntarily shivered. Even the word filled her with revulsion. Although the blonde girl loved a good fight, she couldn't believe that ninjas could go as far as to kill each other massively, sometimes using powerful jounin-level jutsus to devastate their foes. Her own grandfather had killed many foes, as had the Second Hokage, her father. She gave the jounin another look. Yes, probably Sarutobi-sensei as well. He was a jounin, after all.

    "Do we go to the usual training grounds, sensei?" Orochimaru cut in smoothly, giving them a shy yet superior look. It did serve to end the tense moment, as Sarutobi looked to the sky, scratching his goatee, while Tsunade stuck her tongue at Jiraiya, who did the same, all before the jounin looked at them again.

    "No. Not this time. Training is good to put what's been learned to work. But I think you need to learn more. We'll go to the Mission Center and see if there's anything of use. This first time, I'll select you a good mission myself."

    Tsunade felt herself perk up despite herself. The Mission Center! The place where all ninjas not tied up by bureaucracy, teaching, or an ongoing mission went for work. Only thinking about it excited her. 'Finally, something more fun than training!' she thought, and saw the same feelings in Orochimaru's grin and Jiraiya's loud whoop. Sarutobi looked at their display of emotion and shook his head.

    "I guess you don't get it yet. Oh well, you'll see soon enough. Lets go!" he said, and led the way off the bridge.

    They made their way through the houses of the more well to do Konoha families, past many specialized shops to finally arrive at the clump of imposing wood and mortar buildings in which most of Konoha's decisions were made. There was the court, the jail, and the assembly hall, to name a few. Amongst these was the Mission Center, which always bustled with ninjas. It was there that the little group entered. Tsunade looked around at the long tables with people sitting and the many ninjas in flak vests walking about, and felt her excitement grow. 'This could be fun after all!'

    "Wait here while I go get that mission." Sarutobi-sensei stated, walking to one of the tables and looking at a list in short order. She saw Jiraiya give Orochimaru a jostle in his excitement.

    "Hey, hey, hey! Orochimaru! Think we're going to have a fun mission?" he asked, not realizing he hadn't called the pale genin by the 'snake' nickname he normally used. Orochimaru blinked, but only shrugged a bit.

    "I don't know. But it's our first mission. That means it'll be a D-class. Lets not get too hopeful just yet." he said, but there was an undeniable eagerness to his tone.

    "Doesn't matter, guys! Anything we get is better than another day of bo-ring training, right?" Tsunade exclaimed.

    "Right!" The two boys answered empathically, almost in unison.

    Tsunade grinned at them and they both answered. She didn't feel much anger now, and little pressure. Free of that, she allowed herself to wallow in the shared camaraderie that had installed itself amongst the team. It wouldn't last, she was certain of that. 'But it can't be helped right now! Its our first mission!' she thought as Sarutobi walked back to them grinning and carrying a sheet of paper in his hand.

    Tsunade had always been prone to letting her temper go. Ever since she'd been little, it had been a problem with her, one that had left her with few friends. Her temper often took little to set off, and just slightly more to explode. So it was a wonder, looking as she did at her first 'mission', that she didn't go and take Sarutobi's head off. To her mind, it was worth much praise, even though part of her recognized the impossibility of actually hurting a jounin at her actual strength. However, she couldn't help but utter a sentence, which perfectly summarized the situation.

    "Are you crazy!" she shouted. Beside her, Jiraiya and Orochimaru also looked both angry and dismayed. Sarutobi-sensei, for his part, looked unforgivably happy with his choice.

    Before them lay a vast garden. According to what Sarutobi had told them, it belonged to a chuunin and his family who lived in the quaint house nearby. It seemed that the chuunin had decided to make a surprise to his wife, in two stages. First by taking his family to a small, quiet onsen a few miles east. The second, more secret, had had to do with giving a D-class mission to clean the garden before they returned, which would be in two days.

    "He wants us to do this in two days?" Orochimaru sighed, surprising Tsunade. Normally, the pale genin said nothing, letting Jiraiya vent his frustrations. But the white-haired boy seemed too upset to talk, which she sympathized with.

    "That's right." Sarutobi said easily.

    "There's no way we can do this! No freaking way! Look at this place!" Jiraiya exclaimed at last, waving his arm around.

    The blonde girl looked around herself and wondered when this place had actually been a 'garden'. Weeds grew everywhere, pieces of scrap and paper were strewn about with wood and other things she wasn't certain she could identify - or wanted to. It seemed as though a storm had passed through the place. She understood why the chuunin had wanted the place cleaned. 'But in two days, the three of us? That's just not possible!' she thought.

    "Couldn't they at least clean the place from time to time?" she griped.

    "Now, now. The chuunin in question has little time to devote to garden-cleaning. As for his wife, she is weak and has a young child to take care of to boot. I think it's a nice, easy mission for you to begin with." Sarutobi answered.

    "The heck with that! When are we gonna learn real ninja stuff?" Jiraiya grumbled, and both Tsunade and Orochimaru nodded.

     It didn't make a very positive effect on the jounin. A spasm of annoyance crossed his face, and he sighed in exasperation. Tsunade had seen it a few times already, and knew what it meant. To their sensei, it meant that they were missing an obvious point, one he shouldn't need to explain. That sigh really had a way to put her on edge.

    "Real ninja stuff? What is real ninja stuff? Chakra, ninjutsus, genjutsus? Training in techniques? You guys think that's the 'real' ninja stuff?" the goateed jounin asked them placidly.

    "You bet! That's the reason ninjas get this strong!" Jiraiya exclaimed.

    "You think that? You really think that?" Sarutobi said, and this time there was seriousness to his tone. It made Tsunade hesitate, even as irritated as she was.

     But there wasn't anything else about ninjas, to her mind at least. They were the soldiers, the guardians of the village and, to a lesser extent, of the Fire Country. They used chakra, which normal people didn't know how to use, and because of that had superior physical prowess and awesome techniques, which made them feared and respected as a group and as individuals. A ninja was a one-man fighting force, not someone who arranged an impossibly mismanaged garden.

    "What else is there?" she snapped, nodding to Sarutobi's question with a scowl. Jiraiya imitated her quickly, but she saw that Orochimaru hesitated, biting his lips before nodding as well. Their sensei nodded back at them, once.

    "If that is so, then this mission is even better than I had first thought. You can take the opportunity this setting gives you to work both your minds and bodies. Hopefully, you'll learn something and grow just a little bit wiser." Sarutobi said a bit impatiently, and turned to go.

    "Wait! You're not staying?" Tsunade blurted irascibly.

    "Oh, I'll check up on you now and then. But its not really like you'll need my guidance to clean this place. And you won't need protection here. Besides, I think _you_ need time by yourselves. To think." Sarutobi said.

    "About ninjas?" Orochimaru queried. Sarutobi gave a slight grin.

    "There's hope for you, at least, Orochimaru." The jounin said, before waving his hand and departing. Although she'd known the man only a little while, she knew that poise and wave well: he was going, and he wasn't going to talk or anything anymore. 'What a demanding old geezer.' she griped to herself, outwardly huffing and crossing her arms.

    Orochimaru took hold of a piece of wood, looked at it, and sighed almost inaudibly. Then he started gathering other pieces and stacking them on his arms. Tsunade and Jiraiya looked at him for a long moment.

    "What are you doing?" Jiraiya asked.

    "What does it look like? Cleaning this place. That's the mission, after all." The pale boy replied, with just enough superiority to make his white-haired companion jump.

    "I know that! But...well...but...this is just..." Jiraiya struggled to find the words for it, sweeping the frightening 'garden'. Tsunade couldn't help but smirk. 'What a perverted simpleton.'

    "Snaky's right, I guess. This sucks! But I suppose we gotta do it." She humphed, hands on hips. After watching Orochimaru a moment longer, she kneeled and began to tear off some weeds. Jiraiya looked defiant for a moment longer, and she was wondering if he was going to start a verbal spar with the snake-boy, but he seemed to finally decide against it, sighing and trudging away.

    "I'll go get some containers for all that crap. And I'll take care of the paper and trash." he said sullenly. She shook her head, and then saw that Orochimaru looked very thoughtful.

    "What's up, Snaky?" she asked. He didn't seem to notice the nickname.

    "Just thinking. About what Sarutobi said just now. His voice when he talked about us needing protection. It was strange."

    Tsunade rolled her eyes. First Jiraiya and his pouting, now Orochimaru and his thinking. This was irritating. Downright annoying, even. Pushing both boys from her mind, she began to clean the dismal garden in earnest.

Present Day...

     Tsunade took another sip of sake while reflecting on what she'd just told Shizune. A faint smile of sadness mixed with fondness bloomed on her face for a moment as she remembered herself, her sensei and the two boys who had been her comrades. 'So young.' she thought to herself 'God, were we truly so young? It seems like an old dream.' A dream filled with youthful anger, a dream before all the real pain that hurt her heart so much.

    Shizune, for her part, seemed to be busy digesting what she'd heard. 'Heh. Nothing heroic in there, is there? No great jutsus, no awesome potentials. Just three difficult brats.'

    "For some reason, I didn't expect this. The Third sounded a bit...harsh, in this. I mean, these missions exist. I've done D-class missions as a genin. But to give such a task as the first test..." Shizune said hesitantly. Tsunade patted her on the back once, fondly, grinning.

    "Ah, but that's because you don't know Sarutobi. He was a perfectionist to a fault. And, in a way, we needed what this mission showed us."

    "Showed us, Tsunade-sama?" The younger ninja asked, eyes interested.

    "We'll get to that in a moment. There's something I'd like to add about Sarutobi-sensei himself. See, he was being harder for a reason, which went beyond being a perfectionist. He wanted us to learn a hard truth soon, to prepare us better. You see, Shizune-chan, in those days, Konoha had problems much like those it had recently with the Sound and Sand. Much like, but not quite. Because, in those days, we were being pretty nasty too."

38 years earlier...

    Walking around Konoha's streets, Sarutobi could almost miss the present tension. If he didn't have his acute senses, he probably wouldn't know anything was amiss. But he did have those senses. He did smell the worry and the fear, see the taut undertone in the way people walked. It was in many adults, although all worked to hide it from their children, at task at which they were only partially successful. Everywhere he looked, he could sense unease.

    The rumours of war, it seems, were getting louder. 'Its just as well they don't know what we know about Mist Village and its ninjas.' He felt a presence near him and turned to see his fiancé, Ayako, approaching with another man. He felt a brief, rather embarrassing flare of light jealousy before he recognized the bearded, spectacled ninja.

    He barely had time to react, however, before Ayako threw herself in his arms in her usual, gleeful way. 'Still that thoughtless and reckless. I really need to sort things out with her.' he told himself. But it wasn't the time for being grim. He returned the hug with an ardour he didn't have to feign, and then released her.

    "You really should stop making those scenes. People are looking at us. Hardly subtle for a ninja." he commented with a wry grin. She poked him on the shoulder as an answer.

    "Don't worry about that! They'll only think I like my boyfriend! And that's no lie." 'Like', never 'love.' he reminded himself quietly, forcing himself to remember this was simply the way she was. Trying to put these troubling thoughts away, he gazed at the other person with a friendly grin.

    "Hello, Homura. It's been a while." he said. The other jounin nodded, only his eyes showing friendliness in a face carved out of marble.

    "Indeed it had been, Sarutobi. Koharu'll soon invite us for our monthly eat-out, I'd say. Its her turn for it." The spectacled man mused.

    Sarutobi grinned wistfully. Ever since they had been mere genins training under the Second, Sarutobi, the stern Homura and the wise Koharu had taken to eating out together. First once a week, it had gone to once a month when missions and duties had kept interfering, and it had become an unbroken since. 'A promise between friends. I wish I could say that promises between lovers were so strongly kept.' he thought, and hated himself for thinking that way. Ayako loved him, and he her. Wasn't that enough?

    "Well, I wish I could say that this meeting is only to remind you of our little nostalgic meeting, but it isn't." Homura's face told Sarutobi the tale.

    "The ANBU we sent to Mist Village?" Sarutobi inquired. Homura's lips thinned, and even Ayako's face, normally always open and light, darkened visibly.

    "There's been no news. Or should I say, it gives us news. They are three days overdue. And with ANBU squads, three days overdue isn't just that." The marble-faced jounin stated.

     No, it wasn't. Although Sarutobi had never been an ANBU, never wanted to, he knew many who were and respected their skill and dedication. If an ANBU did not give signs of life three days after the moment he was supposed to, one was reasonably entitled to think the worst. And, in this case, the worst might be costly to Konoha.

    "It appears that the Second was right about this all along. Not that I had much doubt. Certainly the Hokage knows of this already. Has he said anything regarding further actions?" Sarutobi asked, wondering at his former teacher's frightening insight into people and nations. 'Kenji-sensei and the First. They were and are incredible people. How can I even think I compare with them?' Thoughts like these were bothering him increasingly in the last few weeks. He had to get a hold of himself.

    "The Second has decided that the best way for us to cope with this situation is to pretend everything is alright and continue with our normal day-to-day activities. All while being careful and aware, of course. It seems that the Second will be sending another team to gather information about the Mist's intentions." Homura explained, and his eyes drifted to Ayako even as he did. Something cold took hold of Sarutobi's stomach as he realized what it meant.

    "You? You've been chosen to scout the Mist Village again?" he asked, and he couldn't help but let a desperate note creep in his tone. Homura raised an eyebrow, very obviously noticing this. Ayako, however, didn't appear to truly grasp the tone, for her face beamed with a pride which made his heart ache.

    "Yes! And more than to scout, this time! This time, its a full investigation, with three others! And I'll be in charge. Ain't it great?" she crowed, cocking her head just slightly, her grin triumphant.

    Sarutobi wanted to scream. 'Great?!? How can it be 'great?' You come home, after all those months, like it was a game or something, after not even telling me. I worried about you, and you didn't even apologize! You acted as if you'd gone only for a few hours! And now, we're finally together, finally long enough for us to talk, and you decide to leave just like that? And what about me? What about you? What about US, dammit!'

    But he didn't say it. For all of the dismay and anger in his heart, Sarutobi didn't dare cross that threshold. Despite the headache and the angry moments Ayako caused him, there was one thing, which remained undeniable: he loved her. Ever since he'd begun the relationship, he'd loved her. And that meant he couldn't bear to create a rift between them. So he settled for a far more subdued retort.

    "That's not the term I'd use. You're leaving me." he said sadly. This seemed to affect the jounin female a bit, for her smile froze and something flashed in her eyes. But that instant passed quickly, before he could discern more.

    "Don't worry. This won't take too long. I'll be back in no time!" she answered.

    "Right. Well, you two will have to excuse me. I need to go check on those three students of mine. Lots of potential, I think, but still too green to truly learn yet. Thank you for the news. I'll see you both later." And then he turned around and left.

    'No, I'm not leaving. I'm fleeing. I'm supposed to be a ninjutsu genius, a gifted leader, even supposed to have a shot at replacing Kenji-sensei one day - which I'm not certain I want. But I'd trade all of that skill, all of these possibilities, if it made me surer that Ayako truly loves me. That this isn't one more game to her.'

    'I'd give anything to stop the doubts in my heart.'

    But the doubts were there, and remained. And with those doubts, Sarutobi made his way back to where his students were toiling with a heavy heart, the possible war with the Mist ninjas having become frightfully personal.

    It was well past noon, and to Tsunade's eyes, it didn't seem like the garden was anywhere close to being finished. Although cleaner, the area was still strewn about with much garbage and bits of woods and plants. She was certain that, if one looked in without knowing how the place had been previously, he'd probably declare their job a failure. And little scared her more than to fail in her first mission.

    And, of course, nothing angered her more.

    "That's it! I can't stand this stuff anymore!" she growled, focusing her chakra and her anger into her fist and ramming it in the trunk of a half-dead tree. Already much weakened by disease; it didn't withstand the pressure, and slammed down to the ground, cut in two. Jiraiya and Orochimaru looked at her with exasperated looks, and she glared right back.

    "Tsunade, what 'is' it with you and your temper?" Orochimaru inquired, his tone less mild and more arrogant than ever. He too had looked increasingly strained as time went on, and it showed in his body language.

    "There's nothing wrong with me! This stinks!" the blonde genin snapped.

    "Yeah, you're right! It stinks! I think so too, tomboy! But you keep making it worse. Girls. Bah. Useless." Jiraiya said with a glare of his own. At the term 'useless', Tsunade's blood began to boil.

    "I don't have to take that crap from...from a snowball-topped, stupid, retarded lecher like you!" She half-shouted, stalking to the white-haired boy and giving him a push with two fingers. Jiraiya's face flushed, and she saw Orochimaru give a disdainful sniff at them.

    "So what if I peek at girls? Better than some high and mighty brat who thinks she can equal the First Hokage!" The skirt-peeping genin snapped, focusing her growing anger on him once more. She grabbed him fully this time, and put her face close to his.

    "You really want me to mess your face up, don't you!" she stated angrily, eyes flashing. He gritted his teeth in response.

    "Gimme a shot if you want, 'tomboy'! Just proves you're a lousy girl." he answered.

     Her grip tightened on Jiraiya's kimono, while she spotted Orochimaru looking on with quiet condescension. For a moment, she felt like hitting, like letting go of the hot anger that had festered for so long in her life, fuelled by pressure and distant parents. For a moment, she truly hated Jiraiya. Hated him, and envied him. For having only his own goals. For having parents who actually didn't mind how well he did something, as long as he did his best. 'You're a damn lucky bastard, and you don't even see it. I should kick your ass, just for that!'

     "Please, little one. This isn't truly necessary, is it?" A calm, stern voice interrupted, breaking the moment. Surprised, Tsunade unclenched her hands and let Jiraiya go, and found herself looking over the low stonewall at a very old man.

     Dressed in a purple kimono, the man held himself confidently. Tsunade was surprised on how tall and straight he held himself, as the man's face was heavily lined with much care and age, his thick hair as white as Jiraiya's. He didn't smile at them as he looked on, yet his eyes were strong and gentle. The elder leaned on the wall a bit, examining them carefully before speaking again.

    "I'm sorry for interrupting. I don't usually meddle in other people's affairs, but this was a bit much. Genins fighting. Over so little." The old man said. Beside her, Jiraiya stiffened and took a step forward.

    "Hey! Who the heck do you think you are, old man, coming up here and judging us like that! I can't stand people like you!" The pervert genin snapped.

    "It wasn't my intention to judge. But it 'was' a bit much here. This is simply a cleaning job. There's no need to fight over it. And as for who I am, my name is Kenji Tatsuyo."

    Tsunade frowned. That name meant something. She'd heard it before. Something to do with her grandfather. Then it dawned on her, and her legs seemed to turn into jelly. She heard a small intake of breath from the serpentine boy's direction, while Jiraiya ploughed on ahead, too caught up in his own tirade to wonder about the revelation.

    "Well, sir, my dad tells me I need to be nice with my elders. But I still wanna tell you that what happens here is none of your business, and you should really-hey! What are you doing!" Jiraiya had begun to launch into his tirade, only to find himself roughly jostled by none other than Tsunade herself, who glared at him blackly before turning to the old man again. The elder's eyes seemed almost amused at what he was seeing.

    "I...forgive him for his tone...Hokage-sama." Orochimaru said breathlessly, beating Tsunade to the punch. This time, however, she didn't feel like arguing. The Second Hokage sighed.

    "So, I should have kept quiet about my name for a while, eh? Don't look so distraught, young Futema. I took no offence. And indeed it was none of my business. I suppose I just wanted to see how Sarutobi's students were, and what mission he first gave you. I approve of both." Konoha's current leader mused.

    Tsunade didn't know how to feel about those words. She knew that the Second had been a close friend of her grandfather, the First Hokage, and that the man wasn't known to give hasty opinions. But on the other hand, part of her riled against the fact that he found garbage cleaning suitable for them.

    "Forgive me, Hokage-sama. But I'm not certain I see the point. We are here to learn better jutsus, to strengthen ourselves. This, this isn't it. And we've had no useful lesson taught to us." Orochimaru said humbly. 'What a bootlicker. Gets distant and arrogant until someone better comes along, then he's eager to please. No darn pride.'

    "No useful lesson? I think not. You are getting the most useful lesson right here. Here, my young friends, is something very basic. It is something I taught Sarutobi once, and that I am glad he is teaching you so soon." The Second replied seriously.

    "Huh? And what's that?" Tsunade and Jiraiya asked in unison, then looked at each other. The Second shrugged.

    "The answer is simple if you look at your mission attentively. That is the only clue I will give you. The rest, as they say, is up to you. I wish the three of you a very good afternoon. And don't worry about not finishing this on time." The old ninja stated, his stern tone strangely caring.

    He walked off smoothly, like a man half his age, leaving behind three astounded genins. Tsunade knew that, as long as she lived, she wouldn't forget that she had met the Second Hokage. 'And that, despite everything he's supposed to be, he still managed to annoy me. But what did he mean by a lesson? Where's the lesson here? Where?'

     Tsunade watched as Sarutobi looked at the garden she and her teammates had been supposed to clean within two days and grunted noncommittally. She didn't take that as a good sign, and looked at the grounds around her bleakly. No matter the efforts they'd put in, they hadn't been able to clean it. It had been an impossible task. Beside her, Orochimaru looked carefully neutral while Jiraiya fidgeted uncomfortably, looking as grimy as she felt.

    Part of her was angry at her sensei for giving them the mission. 'Three people to clear this in two days? Forget it! That's not possible!' she griped, but couldn't quite bring herself to say it out loud. Still, the sight of Sarutobi - of Sarutobi-sensei - walking about looking judgemental wasn't helping her mood any. One other factor, however, stopped her from making any comment: she was simply too tired to fully care. She waited until the jounin finished walking around and came to face them, arms crossed.

    "Well, it looks as if the mission hasn't been completed, and you have no more time to yourselves. What do you say to that?" the goateed man asked.

    "That it wasn't fair. There was no way we could clean that stuff out like you said." Jiraiya snapped.

    Sarutobi frowned, but Tsunade almost felt like cheering the snowball genin. To her, what he had just said was the pure truth: they weren't able to do this, sad as it was. That they couldn't and that, in many ways, it was impossible to succeed. It didn't, however, seem to impress the older ninja.

    "Are you blaming your failure on something as flimsy as 'time'?" he asked, his tone noticeably more severe than before. Jiraiya opened his mouth to say something, but was surprisingly beaten to the punch by Orochimaru himself.

    "Sarutobi-sensei. It seems clear to me that, if we'd had only a little more time, we could have done the job." the pale genin said, unusual tension in his body language and voice.

    "That's exactly it! Right on! There was no way we could pull this off without a hitch." Tsunade said, her voice echoing around the trees that took so much space around Konoha.

    "And what if it isn't clear to me?" Sarutobi asked while tapping his chin. He seemed to wait for the answer too fervently, and Tsunade forcefully silenced the brash words, which had been on her lips. Even Jiraiya seemed to swallow back his own irritation at that moment.

   Orochimaru and she gave each other a long gaze. Ever since the Second had visited, she had been pondering the little he'd given as clues. He had seemed adamant about looking at the entire mission, and then find the solution through careful consideration. Jiraiya looked unusually thoughtful himself, and she wondered if he was thinking the same thing.

    "So? What's you answer?" Sarutobi actually seemed on edge now, pushing Tsunade to think that something must actually be going on amongst the Jounins. Perhaps the rumours of a new war were true. Perhaps it was something else altogether. Whatever it was, it put the older man in a bad mood, unlike the nearly easy-going manners he'd had at first. In her own way, she sympathized: she knew what frustrations and pressure could do.

    "It seems to me, sensei, that you gave us an impossible task. I'm just going to guess but perhaps we weren't supposed to finish it at all." Orochimaru said suddenly, and some of the tension left Sarutobi's face.

    "Good. Very good. I'm glad one of you caught on to that. Yes, this was an impossible mission." the jounin said. Jiraiys spluttered, and Tsunade felt her newfound sympathy evaporating as swiftly as morning dew.

    "What? Damn-I mean, I mean Sarutobi-sensei, you gave us a darn impossible mission?" Tsunade snapped incredulously.

    The jounin nodded, unperturbed by the outburst or the growing tension from his students.

    "But why? Why do something crappy like that?" Jiraiya asked breathlessly.

    "Because it was an impossible mission for you three. Because it forced you to fully work together. And because it was an excellent bit of training." the man said, and it seemed as though talking to them was making him revert to his old self. The tension receded, and a faint grin appeared on the short man's lips. 'Fine for you. Doesn't mean you're making sense right now, you geezer!' Tsunade felt her old anger resurging, and didn't quite intend on fighting it down.

    "You wanted us to fail this?" she almost hissed.

    "I wanted you to understand something important. Something you need to learn right now, before you even start truly learning from me." he retorted calmly. Yes, he was definitely back to his old habits.

    But what could they possibly have learned here? All that they had done had achieved little, far too little. The garden would need much more work to become liveable. In fact, it seemed that the entire mission had been directed towards showing how outclassed they were. 'Wait a minute. Outclassed. Was that what Hokage-sama was telling us?' she wondered suddenly, and then the answer came to her, so clear that she couldn't believe she'd missed it for so long.

    It was, after all, so obvious.

    "Failure. That's the lesson." She suddenly declared. Jiraiya looked at her in surprise and sudden understanding, while Orochimaru nodded in a sort of irksome approval. Sarutobi, for his part, was almost beaming when she spoke.

     "Not bad. Not bad. That's roughly it." he agreed.

    "What! You mean that all this, all we did, it was all for nothing?" Jiraiya grunted.

    "I didn't say that, Jiraiya. What you completed here was a real mission. Although you failed to do so in the prescribed time. It's not that important, at any rate. What is important is that you three didn't - couldn't - completely clean this place. So, yes, you 'failed'. It was necessary for you." The jounin stated. This annoyed Tsunade to no end, and she couldn't help but growl softly. Jiraiya, however, was more vocal.

    "I don't like it! What's the point in doing something, if you can't succeed, sensei?" The white-haired boy asked.

    "Because you'll face situations like these later in life. Impossible odds. Things that go wrong. Failures. Sometimes it will be on the battlefield, where failure is much more dire than failing to clear a garden. I want you to think on that. Think about this mission. Think about failure. And then try hard never to fail again. Learning from a failure is the cornerstone of those who become good ninjas." Sarutobi said with a steely voice, which shut Jiraiya up.

    Tsunade reflected on that. It was true. Her father had told her Konoha's history, how it had grown and stabilized in the years since the First Hokage had forced the chaos of the Ninja World Wars to an end. Yes, learning and adapting faster than anyone else had allowed Konoha and its ninjas to become strong and respected. If these ninjas hadn't learned from failure, then the village would never have survived. Suddenly, Sarutobi clapped his hands.

    "Very good! You've learned to use your bodies, you learned basic teamwork, and you learned to fail. You're ready for my training. Go home and sleep. Tomorrow's a big day. Training time for all of you. And this time, we'll start seeing if you can use chakra!" Sarutobi said with a grin.

    Tsunade shook her head. 'Annoying old geezer. Thinks he can choose everything like that.' The fact that Sarutobi, as their sensei, could do pretty much what he wished didn't help. However, true training was about to begin. With that, she could forget everything. The pressure, the anger, and the annoying boys she'd been paired with.


	5. Chapter Five

_    Don't strain, Kakashi. Training that hard isn't going to help you. You hit and mold chakra as if the weight of the world was on your shoulders. That won't make you into a strong fighter. What you must do is train while thinking only of your own needs. Do not think of others while you are fixed on a task._

_    Why? Because, poor kid, if you don't think of yourself and your task, how will you be of any help when others truly need you?_

_-The Fourth Hokage_

Future Legends

Chapter Five 

    The pain in Orochimaru's arms increased, and no amount of willpower could keep the pale-faced man from screaming in agony. It was as though every inch of both arms were being pressed with a flame-hot poker. It was an endless form of torture, never completely stopping. At its best, the arms throbbed painfully. At its worst, he had blacked out from the indescribable pain.

    He wasn't certain that this had been the Third's intent, but he didn't doubt that, if the old man could see him, he was taking some satisfaction from that pain. Still, no physical pain, no matter how much of it there was, could compare to the horror of having lost nearly all of his jutsus. With his arms useless, he had been effectively stripped of nearly every ninjutsu and genjutsu he had. Where once he had been the greatest genjutsu user of his generation, the best ever, he was now no more than a cripple.

    _Damn you. Damn you. Damn you, you old bastard! Why couldn't you just die! _He screamed to himself, and the pain seemed to return. He screamed, more in anger this time.

    Someone entered his chambers. Orochimaru glared at the intruder. If the fool came to take advantage of his weakness - something he had taught to do to every shinobi of the Hidden Sound Village - that one would be disappointed. He was crippled from casting jutsus, but he was in no way unable to kill an assassin if need be.

    But it was Kabuto who entered. The white-haired young man, although unbelievably arrogant in his own way, was still, in some twisted way, clinging to the codes of the Medic-nins. As such, he would not kill one from his own village, much less his lord.

    _You say it is because you believe in the medical arts more than the fighting arts. That is only a lie, Kabuto. You fight as well as a Jounin, and kill with less than a thought. No, you hang on to those codes so that your dear, departed adoptive father sees something good in you. How quaint. How ridiculous. _He ignored the remnants of an old voice, who reminded him of times when he had felt similar things, things he still felt at times.

    "Orochimaru-sama, are you alright?" the young man asked. In his hands, he held a steaming bowl.

    "Foolish boy. You know well that I am not. Now give me what you have, before I make you regret it." the pale Sannin snapped. It didn't have any noticeable effect. Having been a spy among the Leaf for nearly three years, Kabuto knew how to keep his emotions to himself. _Good for you, boy. But don't think that calm makes you invincible._

"Please calm yourself, Orochimaru-sama. I have brought you a special brew. It should soothe the pain in your arms much, at least a while.

    "Enough talk, child. Give it to me." Orochimaru commanded. Despite the fact that he couldn't use his arms well, he managed to grab the bowl and drank it quickly while ignoring the fact that it seared his tongue and mouth. It was foul-tasting, but he didn't care.

    It didn't take long before he felt the effects. First just a bit, then most of the pain slipped away, until he barely felt it. Although his arms were just as useless as before, at least he had a reprieve from the torture. He savoured it. Kabuto looked at the effects it had on him with the irritating clinical interest only a trained medic-nin could have.

    "I wasn't certain I had made it properly. It's a very difficult potion to brew. I don't know who made the original recipe, but its quite an uncanny piece of work." the white-haired youth said.

    "Tsunade. Tsunade made it, I'm certain of it." Orochimaru replied. The fact that it cut off the pain from such wounds showed a level of healing knowledge beyond even what a Jounin-level medic-nin could come up with. _Only Tsunade had that kind of innate knowledge. That ability. I always thought it wasn't much of a skill to have. It didn't give one much power, in my opinion. Foolish. With her skills, she could heal almost anything. Except the most fatal of wounds. And, of course, death itself._

    Death. She had failed in preventing it, but he had found ways to avoid it. He was, with his own jutsu, pretty much an immortal. Albeit an immortal who stole bodies, but what did that matter. He had thought that his youth, and the years he had spent learning jutsus, both forbidden and not, had given him sufficient strength to defeat Konoha's sheppard. Oh, he wouldn't have tried it so soon against the Fourth. The irritating blonde boy had been stronger than he, much as he hated to admit it. But the far older Third, he had thought he had become strong enough to take care of that one..

    _And I was. But not as much as I thought. That old geezer still had some tricks and some strength. And I underestimated Konoha's ANBU and Jounin elements. I struck too soon. _

_    But next time, when these arms are healed, when I find the one shinobi who can heal them, I'll plan better. This time, I'll make sure no one interferes. Not even Tsunade or Jiraiya. After all, wasn't that one of the first things you taught us, old bastard? To strike only when ready?_

"Planning ahead. Always planning ahead. That was it." he smirked as he remembered older times. When power hadn't been quite as important. When adults he still felt something meaningful for yet existed.

    "Orochimaru-sama?" Kabuto inquired. The serpentine legend gave him a wry look.

    "That is what the old fool always rambled about. I always thought he was too cautious. But, it seems he had a point after all." he hesitated, and then gave the far younger man a sidelong look.

    "You gave me Tsunade's potion. I suppose I might reward you. Do you know much about us Sannin?" Orochimaru inquired. Kabuto considered as seriously as he always did, then shrugged.

    "Only the same things as everyone. The Sannin, the 'Three Ninjas', the Third's students and the best ninjas in the Fire Country. They say they easily gained power and rose high in Konoha, eventually becoming powerful Jounins. What is it, Orochimaru-sama?" The white-haired spy inquired as Orochimaru began to laugh, his cackle lost in the gloom of his chambers.

    "Easily? Gain power easily? Jiraiya, Tsunade and I? You don't know the geezer we had as a sensei. Nothing was simple with that man. Nothing was easy at all." The pale man replied, giving the empty bowl back, cursing his shaking arms.

    Still, it brought back some memories there. Jiraiya, always saying something stupid. Tsunade, always angry about something. And he, trying to please a Jounin nothing truly seemed to please except perfection. Yet he had been the best, even then. Yes, the best.

    "I'll tell you a few things about that time. Listen well, because I won't waste my time repeating." he said severely, and Kabuto leaned forward in interest. _Good boy. Obedient. Keep being that way. If you value your little life._

Where should he start? Of course, when things had begun to be interesting: learning the first water jutsu under the bastard's perfectionist eye.

38 years earlier...

    "Suiton! Suiryuuka No Jutsu!" Orochimaru called, and focused his chakra towards the fluids, molding it to produce the stream of water that he emitted. The stream shot from his mouth, and hit the target set fifteen fit in front of it with a sharp slap. Immediately, nausea and weakness caught the pale genin, but he refused to show it to the others. Adopting his arrogant mask, he smirked slightly and made a satisfied noise.

    It rewarded him a glare from both of his teammates. Some part of him felt hurt by the look, while another, jaded part of his young soul snickered in pleasure. He was used to being glared at. _But one day, they won't glare at me. They'll look at me in awe. Sarutobi-sensei knows I'm the best, too!_

    The jounin looked at the round wooden target, then at the pond next to which the goateed man had shown them how to mold the necessary chakra. He nodded almost absentmindedly, but his lips twisted upwards as he looked at Orochimaru.

    "Acceptable. Very acceptable." the man said. To Orochimaru, who had long learned to read his sensei, it was the equivalent to very glorious congratulations. One did not have an 'acceptable' level before one could use a jutsu well with the severe Sarutobi. Inwardly, Orochimaru felt oddly warmed, and his knees trembled slightly. _Only because the jutsu made me weak. Just that._

    "You managed to use that jutsu adequately. It does need some work. You wasted too much chakra, and you didn't mold quite fast enough. But you did it. Well done! One small bit of training over for you." the jounin noted, and it seemed that, for a moment, both Tsunade and Jiraiya would attack the man for uttering those words. And if he hadn't suceeded just then, Orochimaru may have joined them.

    Because what Sarutobi had dismissively called a 'small bit' at first, had actually evolved into the words 'damned huge chore' as Tsunade had said, many times and very angrily. Sarutobi had taken them through many chakra-molding exercises.

    He had first forced them through climbing surfaces with their feet using chakra. Although Orochimaru had grasped the trick within the day - roughly - his teammates didn't do quite as well. Jiraiya slipped and fell more times than the pale genin had bothered to count, gaining many bruises for himself, while Tsunade had been worse. While initially better than Jiraiya at climbing, each time she had slipped had angered her.

    Which had made her fall easier. Which made her angrier. Outwardly mildly annoyed, Orochimaru had been inwardly very much amused. _And the looks on their faces when I reached the top of that high wall. Priceless!_

    But that had only been the first step. Then they'd had to learn how to mold chakra, which included anecdotes and lectures on that very topic. Then meditation suggestions, and then more and more training at small tasks aimed at increasing concentration. It had been almost exactly like the academy, only more draining.

    But that hadn't stopped Orochimaru. On the contrary. Information was always important to him, and new ways to use chakra were useful for jutsus, and he wanted to learn as many jutsus as possible. _If I learn enough jutsus, if I become strong enough, people won't see my skin or face. They'll look at me better!_

    "Jiraiya, you especially need to work a bit. You don't put enough efforts into your chakra molding. Take some example from Orochimaru." the man said severely. Jiraiya gave the pale genin a glare, which was answered by a shrug as nonchalant as he could make it. Jiraiya had never liked him much, and the feeling was perfectly mutual. Besides the white-haired boy, Tsunade snickered.

   "You shouldn't be laughing, Tsunade. Yes, you do have a better grasp of the basics, but your temper makes you fail just as much. There is no pride in having better knowledge when you can't use it." The jounin stated severely. As expected, Tsunade didn't take the comment well.

   "Hey! I'm doing my best here, old man!" she snapped, eyes wide with indignation.

   "I doubt it. All of your academy senseis told me you could do much better than you did, if you could control yourself a bit. Find a bit of joy in your life, and use that to focus." Sarutobi answered, cutting off any protest.

    The confrontation might have continued for a while. Orochimaru was certain it would have, since his two teammates had a tendency to keep arguing no matter how right the sensei's words were. However, at that moment Sarutobi lazily looked to the sky. Intrigued, Orochimaru followed the jounin's gaze and spotted a bird flying overhead. There was nothing special about it, except that its wings were clearly red, but immediately he felt something stiffen in the man.

   "Ah. I see. Well, it seems that I'll have to leave you for a while. Now, Jiraiya, Tsunade, I'll leave you to try and imitate Orochimaru's feat. Ask him questions if you need it. Orochimaru, work on polishing your technique. I'll see you as soon as the new business is over." Sarutobi told them. Quickly, it seemed.

    Having grown alone - _not lonely, not lonely _- Orochimaru had learned to read people well enough, and he felt a new urgency in the man. Something had come up and, unless he read the signs completely wrong, the jounin wasn't too happy. _All because of that bird. Was that one of those messenger birds I've heard about in the Academy?_

    There was no time to ask about it, however, even if the man had answered anything. Having given his instructions, Sarutobi walked off, ignoring Tsunade's irritated questions and Jiraiya's annoyed looks. Both genins then faced him with equal animosity. Strangely, a part of Orochimaru felt angered and hurt by that. _It's not my fault if I happen to learn jutsus before you idiots._ He thought about coming out and say it, but eventually decided against it. Instead, he just looked at them placidly.

    "Don't look like you know everything, snake-face!" Jiraiya called angrily. The white-haired boy then stalked to the side, and within moments was molding chakra.

    "Fine. Its not my problem if you don't want to learn." Orochimaru couldn't help but say. He said it calmly, but couldn't help but put defensive arrogance into his tone.

    Tsunade seemed to hesitate, and the pale genin briefly wondered what he'd do if the short-fused blonde actually asked him for help, but the girl eventually gave an angry huff, stalking to her own corner, her aura completely out of focus.

    He looked around for a moment. _What a team we are. We can barely stand to be together. But I don't care. I really don't. I don't mind being by myself._

He was surprised when a secret part of him called the rest of himself a liar.

     Sarutobi knew that something like this would come up. In the decade since he'd become a jounin, he'd had to take part of many emergency meetings. First, there had been problems with the Hidden Cloud, a conflict that had lasted, on and off, nearly two years. And then it had been the Hidden Grass and the Hidden Sand entering into conflict, dragging the Fire Country into it. It had been a trying time, but that conflict had been followed by four peaceful years that all in Konoha had enjoyed. Especially the shinobi elements.

    But now, it seemed that war loomed over the horizon again, between Mist and Leaf. That was one of the reasons he tried to prepare his three students in detail: he had no intention of having them die out of his own negligence. Sarutobi quickly pushed the three out of his mind as he made his way to the meeting room. _Later. Lets hear the bad news, first._

When he arrived, he almost bumped into Koharu. Usually dressed in a kimono, his friend and former teammate today wore her flak vest and fighting uniform. She quickly noticed his raised eyebrows.

    "Just came back from a mission this morning. Paperwork and all that prevented me from changing. Any idea what's going on?" she asked.

    "Some. I won't jump to conclusions, but I'm willing to bet that the Mist situation is developing." Sarutobi left it at that, and she didn't ask more. There was no reason to.

    Most of the Jounins had arrived by the time they came into the room. At the head of the room, seated at an upraised table, the Second and two of Konoha's most experienced former Jounins were seated already. They were Konoha's council. At the tables facing the leader of the village, almost all of the jounins not on missions were present, including Homura, Kai and, most importantly, Ayako. She sat alone in the front row and, spotting him, waved to him.

    Sarutobi ignored the amused snicker, which erupted from his female friend as he quickly made his way to the impetuous woman. He noticed that most jounins had seen the obvious move, followed its directions and understood. As such, nudges, smirks, nods and knowing looks were shot his way. _Damn. Could she have been _more_ obvious? Now I'll get ribbed until next year._

    "Hey, Saru-kun! Glad we can sit this meeting together." she said, far too brightly. _I love her. Dear God help me, how I love her. But ain't she a handful! _He sat and gave an embarrassed grin as an answer.

    "I think that we may proceed, since everyone seems to be here and seated." The Second Hokage nodded and seemed to consider what to say next. "We have compiled reports given by the Chuunin and Jounin we sent on various missions around the Mist territory. Something is definitely moving, and indications are that it may be against us."

    "So, we risk another war, Hokage-sama?" Kai asked. He didn't sound very pleased by the prospect. But Sarutobi doubted anyone gathered there would feel any degree of happiness. They'd all seen war and all disliked it heartily. The council members exchanged looks with the Hokage, who nodded gravely.

    "I don't intend to lie to you. The possibilities of a war starting between the Mist and the Leaf are high. Two of our teams disappeared under unexplained circumstances, and we caught two Mist bands around this area. The ANBU have been on high alert ever since." The Second said calmly, having a calming impact on the dire news.

    "However, that is not enough to go to arms. As such, we have decided to send out small parties to scout out the surrounding towns. They will be secondary and in a far less dangerous positions than the teams sent for deep investigation. However, there is a risk." The old shinobi added. Sarutobi rose to speak, and the Second inclined his head slightly.

   "I wish to know who will be used to compose such teams. If necessary, I am prepared to stop my team's training and participate." Sarutobi said firmly. Kai rose at once.

    "As will I, Hokage-sama." The prideful jounin said, and the other teams senseis soon followed suit. The Hokage shook his head, however, and gestured for calm.

    "That will not be necessary. After giving it much thought, I have decided that each genin team will serve as one unofficial recon patrol. The teams will earn some good field experience, and can continue training by the same token while scouting the designated town." The white-haired Second stated.

    It was almost like Sarutobi had been hit by a fist right in the guts. He gritted his teeth, his eyes widening. _Take my team scouting? They're not ready at all! They came together to pass my test, but since then, they went their own way. I need more time to work on their teamwork._ Kai rose and expressed a similar concern, and murmurs briefly flowed through the room.

    "I assure you that I understand your concerns. I don't one bit of joy sending out new genins. It is necessary, however, that the normal teams stay on their assigned tasks. We can't afford to tip our potential enemy to our manoeuvres. So we will use these genin teams to accomplish this new task. Remember that this is a light scouting mission. It is doubtful any team will run into true problems." The Hokage said.

    "And what if we do encounter something severe?" Sarutobi asked. He had no intention of making a beginner team fight if he could help it, no matter what the orders were. A thin, wrinkled man next to the Second answered.

    "If that happens, pull away and return here to report. It is not our intention to make genins of such levels fight. As long as peace lasts, at least." the council member noted.

    Sarutobi didn't miss the hidden meaning, and he inwardly grieved. In the past wars, he had seen just-graduated genins lose their lives in ambushes and meaningless attacks. They died unfulfilled lives. _I won't allow that to happen to those three. They all have the potential to become great, if they just work. Especially that Orochimaru. He's something, that kid._

    He sat back down as the discussion continued. He didn't bother to fight the decision. His former sensei was by no means heartless, but any decision he agreed to do would happen, no matter what one would say. The best he could do, he realized, was to watch over his team, and hope nothing unforeseen happened.

    He felt a soft touch on his hand, and he looked to see that Ayako had put her hand on his. He looked at her for a moment, but she seemed intent on what another jounin was talking about, comparing fitness between the Leaf and Mist shinobi. He grinned a bit wryly - she really had a way to suddenly surprise him - and gently gave her hand a gentle squeeze, which she responded to. There was no need to add any words. He could feel plenty. _And that, Sarutobi my friend, is why you'll never be able to live without this woman, no matter how trying she can be._

    War. He really didn't like that word. He'd hoped the ones he had begun training would enjoy peace a while longer, but it seemed it wasn't about to happen. As far as he was concerned, that meant that his work as sensei had just increased. He would have to prepare his team for potential attacks.

    Squeezing his lover's hand gently, his intelligent eyes narrowed in concentration, Sarutobi began to plan ahead for the three youths under his care.

    Orochimaru finished reading the last chapter of the history book he'd loaned quicker than he'd expected - it was barely noon. Then again, the book detailing what was known of the Ninja World Wars had been very interesting. It seemed as though many jutsus had been discovered during that time. And that others had been lost as well.

    He sighed. _At the rate Sarutobi-sensei is going, I'll still be learning basic jutsus in three years! I deserve to learn faster than this. But of course, with the two I'm stuck with, there's no real choice. _

    He looked around the room he had lived in for the last two years. Or had it been three? He wasn't sure of that. His room had always been the same, it seemed. Always white, with blank walls. Little decoration. Orochimaru never had much to his name. All he'd add were his books. Books found mostly, or loaned - he'd never had much money. Just the basic things, funds given to those who had no family and no job to call their own.

    He'd often told himself that it didn't matter. That he could continue on, and be something when he worked hard enough. He'd been thrown out of foster homes, but he didn't care. He was stronger than that. He was stronger than those kids, with those stupid toys. He was stronger than those who had to take an adult's hand to walk around. He was smarter and stronger than kids who had the easy life.

    _But just once, I'd have liked to have a new toy. Just once, I would have liked to have someone who'd care enough about me to hold my hand. _He pushed the thoughts away with an angry jerk. _Stop! That's enough whining! I'm gonna show them. Oh yes, I'm gonna show them. I graduated top. I belong now. I belong!_

But did he? Tsunade and Jiraiya fought with words and fists most of the time, but they'd started to talk as well. Between themselves. Excluding him. It hurt. He'd never shown it, of course, but it did. _But if I showed it, it'd be worse. They'd make me feel I really don't belong. Better to look and listen. Better to listen. Everything's better than-_

The history book banged against the wall and slumped to the floor with a quick thudding sound, thrown with force. Not knowing what he was thinking, Orochimaru took his headband and went to put it in his kimono quickly. No matter how he felt, this was precious. This headband represented a way out. Out from the blank walls and the unfriendly stares. He stared at it a moment, then put it in and opened the door.

    Orochimaru didn't know which one of them was the most surprised. Was it Mudoya, who had his hand raised, prepared to knock on the suddenly opened door? Or was it Orochimaru himself, who'd almost blindly ploughed into the man? Whatever the answer was, Jiraiya's tall father recovered first, and gave him a slight grin.

    "Ah, Orochimaru. I was told that this is where you live. How are you?"

    That was a question he wasn't used to being asked. His sensei sometimes asked him that, and it was the same in that case. No, with the white-haired chuunin, it was even worse. The voice showed genuine interest in his health, and it was disconcerting to the snake-faced boy. _But it's just a question. Answer it, if you don't want to look like a fool!_

"Arrhh...errrh...f-f-fine." _Superb! Terrific! Astounding! Could anyone sound any _less_ certain?_ It did seem to reassure the man, who looked down at Orochimaru with gentleness the genin didn't know what to make of.

     "Good, good! Glad to hear it! Jiraiya told me you looked a bit bummed out because of training. Not going fast enough, is it?" he asked. Again, Orochimaru struggled to find words. He was used to teachers asking him questions, to being told what to do, and to answering curt questions. But the gentle inquiries were too new, too rare. He struggled to find some words.

    "I-it...its tedious. Sarutobi-sensei is always looking for a flaw and, if he finds one, he starts part of the training all over." The pale boy said at last. Mudoya gave out a short, barking laugh.

    "Hahah! That's Sarutobi, alright! He never changes. But I was glade when I heard he was your sensei. Because he's good. One of the very best in the village. He has a tendency to nitpick, but that's because he's thorough. And because of that, they say he might know as many jutsus as the Uchiha elders, even the Second himself." The chuunin said, moving his arms to illustrate. Orochimaru saw that he held a small package in his right hand, but refrained from asking.

    "And, he's often gone these days. Jiraiya and - we talked about it and we think he's gone to jounin meetings with the second." he said. Actually, he didn't know what the others thought. The meetings theory was entirely his own. The older man looked at him seriously at that.

    "I can tell you you're not far wrong. Actually, you, along with other teams, with receive instructions for missions. C-class, no less." Mudoya noted. Orochimaru couldn't help but feel his eyes widen. A C-class mission! _Finally! After the last four D-class we did. I thought I'd go crazy if I had to go grocery shopping or babysitting again._ He, however, tried hard to hide his excitment from the chuunin.

    "Thank you for telling me, Mudoya-san. I'll go talk with Sarutobi-sensei about it." the pale boy said politely. But he was stopped from adding anything further when the man thrust the package forward.

    "No need to rush out, boy. Open that up first." The man's voice was kind and gentle, and before he could think, Orochimaru had taken the package and opened it, and found himself staring.

    It was a frame of dark wood, and within the frame was a picture. On the picture, one could clearly see Mudoya, smiling, each hand on a boy's shoulder. Two boys - Jiraiya, grinning triumphantly, and Orochimaru himself, giving only an uncertain grin. It had been taken by Jiraiya's mother, moments before they had gone in and eaten in a nice restaurant, just after the Genin Test. A lonely evening that had become one he secretly cherished.

    He felt something within him at seeing that picture. Something warm. It wasn't a feeling he was used to having, and he had trouble pinpointing what it could be. _Don't go soft, now. You got to keep your head clear. _Despite knowing this, he couldn't help but stand there, looking at the picture, grasping at something he'd never had.

    "Like it? It's yours. Figured you'd like a souvenir." The chuunin stated. Gently. _Why is he always so nice? And why is it bothering me? _His mind choked on emotions.

    "T-thank you, Mudoya-san." Orochimaru managed to squeak out. The man nodded and gave a small bow of his head.

    "Well, I guess you have some packing to do, with the mission coming and all that. I'll leave you to it. And, Orochimaru? If you want, you can always come see us. Our door is opened." Having said all he'd intended to say, the white-haired ninja flashed a grin and departed. Orochimaru watched him go, some stinging moisture overtaking his eye. _Damn eyes. Read too much, that's it._

    Still, he couldn't help but bow at the chuunin's back one last time, feeling something he finally understood correctly. It was gratitude.

_The Present..._

    "Orochimaru-sama?" Kabuto's hesitant voice broke Orochimaru's reverie, and he cursed himself in wry anger. _Looks like you can still stir some nostalgia in me, old man. For what its worth, I hope _you_ rest in peace. _

"I was only thinking of the past. Never you mind. Where was I? Ah, yes, of course. It was our first mission out of Konoha. Just living had been difficult back then, so the world out of the village's walls seemed alien to me. In retrospect, it should have been a pretty dull mission. But even if it really had been, I wouldn't have cared." Orochimaru paused while a streak of pain raced up his arms, and he grinned through clenched teeth.

    "Even so, I wouldn't have cared. Not back then."

_38 years earlier..._

    Orochimaru hadn't been able to keep himself from grinning when Sarutobi had explained the team what they would be doing for the next two weeks. He'd had too much dignity to shout like Tsunade and Jiraiya had - the white-haired genin had been especially loud in his exclamations - but he'd felt the excitement all the same.

    So, when Sarutobi went to check their bags one last time before departure, he couldn't quite help his lips from stretching upward a bit. It felt unusual. Going off in a group, if only towards a small village. He'd never left Konoha. Ever. And he'd never expected people would ever travel with him.

    "Come on, Sarutobi-sensei. Its good stuff!" Jiraiya wailed as Sarutobi held a couple of chocolate bars - good ones, the pale genin noted with a disdainful smirk, made in the Grass Country.

    "I beg to differ, Jiraiya. We have more than enough food to last us to our destination. Now, I told you that a shinobi of the Leaf does not carry more on his person than is absolutely necessary. These things are quite unnecessary." The jounin stated firmly and, to Jiraiya's dismay and Orochimaru's amusement, walked to the wastebasket that lay quite near the gate, and dropped them in.

    "Awww, geez! I bought those, Sarutobi-sensei!" Jiraiya griped.

    "Then perhaps next time, you will remember that when I say only necessary items, I mean 'necessary'." The jounin retorted calmly. Evidently being glared at by a twelve year old did not disquiet him one bit. At that moment, huffing and puffing, Tsunade arrived. She was decked in a travelling suit of questionable blue and purple, and it was all Orochimaru could do to keep from laughing out loud. Tsunade's angry face told the story of what would happen if one opened his mouth on the subject of her dress.

    Unfortunately for him, Jiraiya had never been good at picking up warning signs. He saw the dress while sulking, stared, and promptly fell over laughing while Sarutobi, after taking a brief look, rubbed his temples lightly.

    "Wahahah! Tomboy! You look like a prune!" the unwitting genin screamed, tears streaming out of his eyes. Orochimaru wondered which would kill the other boy first, the blood rushing to his face, or the glaring Tsunade. Before the blonde girl had time to do anything, however, Sarutobi threw a pinch of sand in Jiraiya's face, which promptly transformed his laughter into a fit of coughing. Thus ended the incident.

    Following checking Tsunade's pack, Sarutobi took hold of his own and stood before them, calmly severe as he ever was.

    "Alright. This is a C-Rank mission. Your first, and as such a very important one. I will be monitoring your efforts to see if you are worthy of more missions of this level in the near future. Also, do not think that I will not continue your training on the way. We will train as much as we can on the road, as well as when we arrive. This is not a vacation. Understood?" The goateed jounin snapped his instructions with an almost pleading gaze. _He knows the snowball and the snob too well._

    If Sarutobi expected a less-than-satisfying response, Orochimaru knew he had it in the way his teammates responded. Although both answered in the affirmative, both Tsunade and Jiraiya sounded far too eager to be considering the mission as carefully as they should. What Orochimaru couldn't understand was why the jounin also looked towards him as he glared at the team. _After all, my answer wasn't like theirs. I was calm. I was, wasn't I?_

"I see that this might be a long walk." Sarutobi noted tiredly. He then blinked, and a moment later another leaf shinobi jumped down from the top of the great gate next to him.

    The new arrival was a woman, about the same height as their sensei, with a round, smiling face bordered by short, curly dark hair. She gave a grin at Sarutobi, who looked back with an expression of mixed tension and sudden pleasure. It was like seeing a beloved sight when it wasn't the time to see it. To Orochimaru, it was strange.

    "Hello, hello everyone! Allow me to present myself! Iwadaka Ayako, information-gatherer extraordinaire! I'm going to be walking along to the village with you, before we all go our separate ways." The woman said, and the way she moved - graceful and simplistically lethal, made Orochimaru surmise that she was also a jounin. The goateed man seemed to be speechless for a moment.

    "Ayako...did the Nidaime agree with this?" The male jounin asked suspiciously.

    "We'll both be doing our mission. Won't change mine, or yours, if I hang out with you for a while. Why would it bother him?" The woman retorted, and after a moment Sarutobi nodded. With that, some tension seemed to leave his shoulders. He turned back to them.

    "Well, it seems your are in luck. Iwadaka-san here is also a Jounin like me, and is quite skilled. If she wishes to teach you anything, listen to her words, they may save you one day." The man said. With that, he grinned, and pointed towards the open gate.

    "Well, if we're all set, let's go and do our best!" he said, and Ayako-san chuckled, while the genins - even Orochimaru's voice was heard, to the pale genin's embarrassment - shouted a gleeful acknowledgement. _Darn, Jiraiya's attitude is starting to rub off on me. _It annoyed him.

    And yet, in some small way, he realized as they started to follow their sensei and his lively comrade, a small part of Orochimaru's heart felt different. For the first time, he felt a sort of comfort, brought together ion one sentence he had never believed in or trusted: _I belong._

__


	6. Chapter Six

_     You're right. I could have taken the necessary testing to become a Jounin. I was asked about it. More than once. Each time, I refused. Because I don't want to become a Jounin. I don't want to be part of the elite. I was fine being a Chuunin then, and I'm fine with it now. _

_    I have no doubts that I would have been good enough. But it would have meant spending less time with my family. Perhaps it makes me weak, but I can't bear that thought. Sorry._

- _Futema Mudoya_

Future Legends 

**Chapter Six**

    Orochimaru's arm whipped, unleashing a hail of shurikens, which the enemy quickly dodged, landing in front of him and pivoting its leg in one fluid motion. Immediately, the pale boy bent backward, barely avoiding the hit, and somersaulted to relative safety. All to have a palm flying straight to his face.

    He brought his arms up to block again and again, pushing his reflexes to the limit and yet achieving little. He was able to block, true, but not to attack. _If this keeps up, I'll tire too fast. I need to break the stalemate somehow!_ He gritted his teeth as a desperate plan took hold in his mind.

    He blocked and took hold of the enemy's arm, and, taking the chance that retaliation might ruin everything, he rammed his leg into the enemy's stomach. It worked. For a moment, his adversary seemed to stagger. A backhand caught him on the cheek, and he blinked as he retaliated with as powerful a roundhouse as he could. The enemy stumbled backward, and Orochimaru put his hands together, initiating a seal sequence. Quickly, they were completed, and a stream of water - his latest jutsu, the only one taught by Sarutobi that he'd been able to master yet - surged out and brought his adversary down to the ground.

    And then Sarutobi came forward and clapped his hands once. "Alright. Jiraiya, Orochimaru, that's enough for now."

    Orochimaru let his arms fall to his side, sighing as he felt the adrenaline rush ebb away, to be replaced by the aches his body experienced when he had used his chakra to force more power into his movements. In front of him, a wet Jiraiya coughed water and got to his feet. After a cursory glance, the goateed jounin turned to the two females of the group and adressed the older of the two.

    "Well, that wasn't too bad. What do you think, Ayako-san?" he asked critically.

    The woman almost seemed to bristle from the 'san' moniker, but controlled herself with near-perfect mastery. It hadn't taken more than a day before Orochimaru had surmised that Ayako and Sarutobi-sensei were an item. First, they slept on opposite sides and made too many shows of proper behaviour - Sarutobi was especially strong in showing that. The woman, however, was of a more reckless kind, and Orochimaru had been able to spy feint looks of longing thrown in his sensei's direction.

    Tsunade and Jiraiya, after a while - longer for the white-haired boy - had figured the same thing out, and it had been a sort of private amusement for them three to look at the two jounins work to appear not to be a couple - not that Orochimaru cared, really. Ayako, however, had proven to be a shrewd combat analyst. Because of that fact, all awaited her impressions seriously.

    "Well, I think that Orochimaru had the edge in this fight. His movements were faster, and he managed never to lose his concentration no matter how much Jiraiya pressed on. Also, his jutsu mastery is clearly superior." The kunoichi mused, and Orochimaru could help but smirk in response to Jiraiya's pouting glare. The jounin woman wasn't finished, however.

    "However, he also left himself wide open, perhaps because he didn't believe Jiraiya could see the instant of vulnerability. That was a grave mistake, boy - never assume anything. As for Jiraiya, he still needs to polish his finesse and learn to use more justus. However, he did use his chakra better. All in all, the two have improved, with Orochimaru having the edge." she finished. Sarutobi nodded in satisfaction.

    "That's about what I thought of it. Alright, then! Jiraiya, go change into some dry clothes. We'll be departing within the hour." the man said. Grumbling, Jiraiya went to do what he was told, while Orochiamaru went to rejoin Tsunade.

    He found her near Ayako, which came as no surprise. Ever since the woman had begun travelling with them, the blonde, angry girl had gotten to talking  - and arguing - with the older shinobi, more than her own teammates.

    It hadn't bothered Orochimaru much, but Jiraiya seemed to be put off at having to talk with Sarutobi. _That's an amusing relationship there_, the pale boy thought. The two had gotten into their fair share of arguments, and often had gotten down to glaring at each other. If Sarutobi didn't simply pull rank and consider the whole conversation over.

    Orochimaru, however, had finally gotten his sensei to appreciate his skills. Although they didn't talk much, the jounin was prone to congratulate him more often than the others.  _And why shouldn't he? I'm better than that loud snowball or the angry tomboy. _These last thoughts, however, Orochimaru had learned to keep to himself. Especially around Tsunade, who was now busy looking at him.

    "Not a bad fight." the blonde girl said. He shrugged.

    "It wasn't that hard. Jiraiya's not improving very fast. And he still can't master basic jutsus that well." he answered, and she frowned - she's just begun getting a grasp on some fire justus herself. He decided it might be wise to change the subject, as Tsunade had proven very good at one thing - changing chakra into physical strength.

    "It seems that we'll be reaching the village today." he finally decided to say. A good move, he saw as her face almost lost all of its glower. She even smiled normally, instead of that ferocious grin she sometimes had.

    "Yeah. It's my first time visiting this far, too. Can't wait to see how it looks like." she said excitedly.

    "I'm glad to hear you're excited, but don't get too carried away either. You're going to do a mission for the village that may or may not impact things with another ninja village. Remember that, got it?" Ayako said far more seriously than she usually talked, having gotten behind them both without either sensing anything. Both jumped. _So that's Jounin-level stealth. No wonder they're so feared. I want to reach up there, too, and I will._

    It didn't take long for Jiraiya to rejoin them, and he came back with the grin he'd had plastered on his face almost constantly since the journey began. It was the face of a boy who'd never doubted anything, who had a good life. It was one reason Orochimaru liked goading Jiraiya's slower mind. _It's petty, I know. But I can't stand having that happy face always nearby._

    "We're almost there! Almost there! Ain't it just cool?" Jiraiya asked them both in turn, and Tsunade nodded empathically. Once more, he felt something akin to jealousy in his heart, and the unspeakable, hated bit that he refused to call loneliness. Tsunade and Jiraiya talked amongst themselves. They had forged a link between them somehow.

    But Orochimaru himself? He was still excluded. _Like I care! If they don't want to speak to me, I certainly won't speak to them! _He turned away from them, and packed his things quickly.

    Within minutes, having erased all traces of their passage, they took to the road again. Both jounins looked serious now, and Orochimaru could tell what it meant. It might have been an easy trip, but the next part of the voyage would be very serious. The C-Class mission was about to begin, the pale boy realized. He wasn't quite certain about his feelings on that, except that it filled the emptiness. To him, that was good enough.

    Coming into the town itself had been quite an adventure, Orochimaru decided. Renzo Town was everything he and his teammates had imagined. And more.

    It wasn't that it was bigger than Konoha. Although Konoha was called a Hidden village, it had a population of over ten thousand, according to what had been taught at the Academy. And, from what Orochimaru had heard, it would still slowly rise in the years to come. Renzo was much smaller - one-third the size of Konoha at most, Sarutobi had told them, perhaps less. Ayako, however, had described it as lively and welcoming - perfect to gather information and nose about.

    She had grinned widely while saying that, and had only stopped when Sarutobi had nudged her forcefully. Orochimaru had been ready, from the very energetic the jounin kunoichi held herself, to take her observations with a grain of salt. It turned out, however, that she had been right.

    They had come in the evening, and yet the entire town was filled with activity. As they entered the town, Orochimaru spied many children younger than himself running about with colourful packages and ribbons, laughing as they swerved around the larger adults. Everywhere, pennants and flags and ribbons were being set up. It was clear that much excitement was in the air.

    "Wow! Cool!" Was Jiraiya's comment, and Orochimaru couldn't help but nod in agreement. Something big was going on. _Pretty colours. Just as pretty as a Konohan festival._

"When you said the place was lively, Ayako-san, I didn't think you meant anything like this." Sarutobi said, and there was an edge of gentle sarcasm in the voice.

    "Don't ask me about it. I only came to this place twice. It was a nice place to get a good drink and good gossip, but nothing like this." The female jounin replied, tossing her hair back. Both had hidden all signs that they were shinobis as soon as the town had been insight, and had ordered the three genins to do the same. When met with some reluctance, they had explained the reason.

    "Wearing Konoha's headband in Konoha isn't anything big, because there are many shinobis there all the time. In the streets, walking around, guarding the city. Not here. Here, the headbands will make us stand out. And we don't want that, do we?" Sarutobi had explained in his usual lecturing voice.

    They hadn't argued afterwards, yet Orochimaru had felt certain reluctance in letting go of that headband. He knew the reasons - if a group from the Mist or even another Hidden Village saw them, it might be trouble, and they didn't come here to fight. It was all very logical and reasonable.

    Still, he didn't like it.

    The town's mysterious activity was quickly solved when Ayako asked a villager a few questions. Unsurprisingly, there would be a short festival of sorts starting two days later. It was a local holiday dating back generations, with the exact reasons for it forgotten. Today, Orochimaru and the others had learned, it was simply an excuse for people to relax, party and enjoy life for a few days.

    "Isn't it irresponsible of them?" Tsunade had asked. The two jounins had exchanged a brief look and shrugged.

    "To each their own. This is an agricultural area. People work hard, so festivals are a good way to forget how hard they work. Konoha does have its own festivals. You're just used to the way we do things." Sarutobi said. Jiraiya, who had been looking around, bounced to his sensei in excitement.

    "Sarutobi-sensei! We'll be able to see the festival, right? Right, right?" He seemed on the verge of shaking the larger man a bit. Ayako and Tsunade snickered, while Orochimaru sighed. _The snowball's a true monkey most of the time. Now, he's even worse! Still, I admit he does have a point. I've never... _Orochimaru stopped his train of thought forcefully, while Sarutobi explained that, although they were supposed to be gathering information on the region, nothing prevented them from taking in the sights a bit.

    "But don't go enjoying yourselves too much. This is still a mission, after all." He reminded them. _As if we could forget, with sensei reminding us every hour._

    "Yay! That'll be great, eh Tsunade?" he said, and went to hug her. Which got him angry fist in the face.

    "You think I'll let a pervert like you touch me? Think again! I got my pride!" She humphed. Jiraiya, recovering from the pain and surprise, didn't intend to let it pass.

     "As if a guy would want to touch a flat-chested tomboy like you!" he countered, a comment that led to other words, attracting undue attention. Consequently, both jounins quickly broke the fight up, Sarutobi sighing tiredly.

   By the time Sarutobi secured two rooms for them - one for the jounins, one for the genins, which led to Tsunade repeating her threat to Jiraiya three times, each time far too loudly - the two were down to simply glaring at each other, and unpacked their bags in relative silence. _Finally, some peace. They better not start arguing for which person takes the bed. If they do, I think I'll strangle them both! _

    "Tsunade, you'll sleep on the bed by the window. Jiraiya, the bed by the door and I'll sleep right in the middle." he blurted before thinking. Crossly. He couldn't believe he'd actually said that. _Have I gone insane? _Jiraiya and Tsunade, however, attacked with the fire they were used to throwing at one another.

    "Hey, snake-face! Who do you think you are? Don't think that cuz you're sensei's favourite that you can decide things for us!" Tsunade growled. Beside her, Jiraiya nodded violently.

    "That's right! Give us a good reason you should!" Jiraiya snapped. Orochimaru felt his patience fray. He'd heard enough from those two for the past few days.

    "You're always quarrelling between yourselves. I'm taking the middle bed because I won't allow you to quarrel with me when we're supposed to be sleeping. Don't tell me you wouldn't do it, even Ayako-san was tired of hearing you!" he finally snapped. He didn't know if it was the unusually sharp voice, or the argument itself, but the blonde girl and white-haired boy gaped at him for long moments, speechless. _Ah, good. Finally, some reasonable silence!_

It lasted roughly ten seconds.

    "Well, maybe! But I don't see why she'd get the window!" Jiraiya griped. Tsunade immediately lashed out.

    "I'm a girl, and that's that! Girl precede boys when it comes to windows." She said, blindly uncaring that what she had just said made not one bit of sense whatsoever. As the two began quarrelling again, Orochimaru let himself fall on the middle bed.

    _Sarutobi-sensei. If this keeps up, I'm moving in your room. No matter what you and Ayako-san are doing! _That was a promise he intended to keep. Droning out the voices - and surprised that they didn't quite bother him as much as they once had - Orochimaru let himself fall asleep.

    Sarutobi gave Ayako a sidelong look before turning his attention to the bowl of yakisoba he'd ordered. Although he usually liked the dish, this time it seemed to have little flavour. It wasn't that the restaurant hadn't prepared it well, either. Even if he'd eaten in Konoha's finest, he still would have found the food rough and bland.

    He sighed. After a tiresome day of familiarizing himself with the place with his three apprentices, he'd ordered the three to bed so that they would be rested the next day. It hadn't taken as much prodding as he had thought it would, and he suspected they wanted to be up early to participate in the festival that would start the next morning. He usually had to fight with Jiraiya over any kind of curfew he wanted to implement.

    It was nice not to have had to that time, but he feared that the three genins - even Orochimaru - would want to participate more in the festivities than collecting information on the place, its people and whether any Mist agents were located here. Beside him, Ayako was busy eating some yakitori chicken off their skewers. Unconsciously, he ran his gaze down her body's curves, which the kimono she'd put on wasn't able to truly hide.

    "My, my, Saru-kun. You hungry for more than noodles, aren't you?" she quipped, while quickly devouring her chicken.

     He cursed inwardly, feeling somewhat embarrassed. _Ayako tends to fake be openly reckless and imprudent. It's always a trap, and I, her lover, fell for it. How embarrassing. _He did tend to forget that, for all of her outward demeanour, Ayako was a jounin-level shinobi of great skill, and one of the best spies in Konoha. Sensing his eyes on her was nothing at all, of course.

    The most embarrassing was that, when looking at her, he'd only been able to think that, soon, she'd be off to the most dangerous spying ground one could have: another Hidden Village. He singularly didn't like the idea of Ayako being alone in such a dangerous territory. At the same time, however, he knew that few had the ability to infiltrate a place and return successfully as she did. As far as Genjutsu was considered, she was _the_ strongest of their generation.

    Perhaps feeling his discomfort as well as his troubled thoughts, she gave him a nudge and, when he looked at her, gently tapped his cheek.

    "You're such an obvious worrywart, Saru-kun. You drive me and the Second up the wall with it. But, that's one of the things I like about you." She said, with a wistful edge to her grin.

    "Sorry. Habit." he said, then winced inwardly. _Could have said something better there. Yes indeed! _It only made Ayako chuckle, however.

    "Well, Saru-kun. Do you want me for dessert then?" She suddenly purred in his ear.

    Hearing that right when he had a mouthful of noddles in almost caused him to die right then and there. He jerked, then choked as he attempted to swallow too big a mouthful. It was only through willpower and Ayako hitting his back several times that the noodles were finally in. It gathered attention from surrounding patrons, which was further shameful for him. _Good way for a shinobi to blend in. Oh yeah._ He gasped for air for a few seconds, and then directed his gaze towards the grinning jounin kunoichi.

    "I should have expected you to say something like that. But you still managed to say it when I actually didn't expect it." He finally gasped. However, despite his frustration he was unable to give his voice the edge it should have had. Intelligent black eyes laughed as the woman hummed to herself for a moment.

    "What can I say? I'm unpredictable. Its in my blood, I guess. Just look at my parents." Ayako noted.

    "Your father was an official and your mother a librarian. You couldn't find more respectable _and _predictable." Sarutobi noted.

    "Exactly! Isn't I being a jounin a sign that I'm unpredictable?" the woman answered.

    He blinked at her, and despite the whole situation began to laugh. He had known Ayako for over seven years, and they had been an official couple for more than four. Yet he still found her light spirit refreshing, even if somewhat annoying. It was different from so many other jounins, who had become jaded with life because of difficult missions. Himself included, he feared. Ayako _grasped_ life and joy, even when a moment should be lonesome, sad or simply depressing. He eventually sighed.

    "You really should be teaching instead of me. Those three like you much better, I think." He grinned.

    "Nonsense, cuteness! I'm just someone they're not used to. You're better suited. You're more patient, you know more overall jutsus than I do, you're more-" Ayako exclaimed.

    "More severe? More harsh?" Sarutobi couldn't help but quip back. Ayako sighed, huffed mockingly and turned to her chicken. Feeling better - and yet no less concerned with knowing she would soon be going to Hidden Mist. - he turned back to his own plate. It was only when they had finished and gone outside, strolling through streets lit only by lamps, that he finally voiced what was on his mind.

    "I'm...worried. The Leaf might go to war against the Mist." he said.

    "Well, if that happens, we'll be _fine_. We have the Uchihas, the Hyuugas, the Naras and plenty of unique bloodlines. And we have our Second Hokage, who's the strongest of the Five Kages." Ayako retorted carelessly. He looked at her in irritation. _She's not stupid. She's deliberately saying this to goad him._

    "I don't mean the Leaf in general. I know it's strong, and I know we'll pull through. But this war will put genins like those three in danger. I'm really tired of seeing kids going off to die on the battlefield." Sarutobi snapped. It was only a partial truth. Yet the deeper truth remained stuck in his throat. _Say it, you fool! Say you're worried about her! Forget the damn shinobi code for a moment! __Sarutobi, you idiot!_

    Ayako looked at him for a moment, then quietly took his hand. The look he shared with her reminded him of all the good times they'd had, and how he had rarely told her how much she meant to him. _That irritating, careless, senseless woman...how much I care for her._

    "Whatever happens, happens, Sarutobi. But I don't fear for your students. All three are learning quickly. And they have you as a sensei. With you, they'll be fine. Even if there is war. Whatever happens, I'll be glad to know you're there with them." She said, and he was surprised by her serious tone. The moment was then dispelled as she leaned forward more seductively, unheeding of the few other passerby.

    "So, as we have time for ourselves, do you want some dessert, Saru-kun?" She purred, and this time he couldn't help but grin in amusement.

    "Sounds good to me." The goateed jounin agreed. Without adding anything else, they kissed. _I couldn't tell her. Dammit. But, tonight, I'll at least make certain she feels it without words._

    Orochimaru had some difficulty admitting it, but he was truly starting to enjoy himself. Renzo's festival, although a bit rough, had a lot of contagious vitality to it. Bright ribbons and pennants flew everywhere, and the games and food were plentiful.

    Not only that, but the people there were generally friendly. In Konoha, his appearance - his eyes, skin, freakishly long tongue - had sometimes acquired Orochimaru some stares - and had deprived him of any chance to play with other children because of it. Not so here. Here, appearance didn't seem to matter, and those who stared at him long were few and far between. Just for that, he was starting to like the town.

    Jiraiya and Tsunade had taken to the festival immediately. Although there had been one or two problems - Jiraiya had nearly been strangled when he'd been caught peeking on a group of girls, and Tsunade had gotten herself into a shouting match with a middle-aged candy merchant, among lesser events - the past day had been fine, and they'd been able to ask some questions. It had gone so well that Sarutobi had deemed they could spend the rest of the festival gathering information by themselves.

    "Just remember-" The jounin had begun.

    "That is a C-mission. Yeah, yeah!" Jiraiya had said, and after Sarutobi had given them an added stern lecture on proper respect to one's sensei, the three had been allowed to roam around free.

     It was truly a nice festival. Which was why Orochimaru wasn't actually surprised he didn't notice they were being followed before Tsunade - who had been walking beside him after Jiraiya had gone to get some food for all of them - told him so.

    "Are you certain?" he couldn't help but ask. But it was only his wounded pride that did the asking. For all of her anger, the blonde girl wasn't incompetent. _Just not as much as I am. Why didn't I feel those people before? _Tsunade's answer was curt, but lacked her usual irritation. She was serious, falling back on her Academy training.

    "I'm sure, Orochimaru. They've hidden themselves well. Blended well. But there's just that there's something about them that's..._wrong._" He looked at them and nodded. Two men. Average height, ordinary features and stature. Perfect for blending in. Perfect for spies.

    "And we've had them on our back since before Jiraiya left. I recognize them." As he said that, Orochimaru's mind raced. There was no way these spies - he was certain they were, now - would attack them with all the people there. But they'd follow them to their inn, and they might attack then. Or else, disappear. _But I won't play their game! _Spotting an alley, he entered into it, dragging Tsunade with him. _We'll have to lose them and quickly find Sarutobi-sensei and Ayako-san. If we can do that, we should be alright._

"They're still after us." Tsunade noted as she ran. He quickly began to make seals.

    "I know! But we got to confuse them a bit to escape! Bunshin no Jutsu!" he called and two clones appeared, running beside them. One looked like Orochimaru, the other almost completely like Tsunade. They took off to the roofs in another direction, while he and Tsunade poured the speed.

    _Going into that alley was a bad idea. If they've been working from this village, they know the terrain better than we do. But what alternative did I have? _Orochimaru wasn't one to second-guess himself, and neither was he one who fancied himself a coward. Yet, despite that, fear starting to rear its head, and there was little he could do but accept the chill it gave him.

     They came to crossroads, and Orochimaru froze with indecision. He had run with fear overtaking him, scrambling his direction sense. Which way was the one which would lead them to Sarutobi? _I can't tell! I can't tell at all! _He was thus surprised when Tsunade abruptly chose the right. Knowing that to get separated now would be suicide, he ran after her.

    "Wait, Tsunade! How do you know this is the right way?" The pale genin hissed as he ran.

    "You just have to follow your instinct, snake-face? Don't you know that much?" The blonde girl snapped in irritation.

    They hadn't gone one for more than a moment or two, however, before two shurikens came right at them. The presences, which had gone off with the clones, had come back. The training they had received at the Ninja Academy saved them as they dodged. Taking some shurikens from a pouch himself, Orochimaru - and Tsunade - launched an attack at the rough location that the weapons had come from. Knowing better than to check if it hit, they immediately retreated.

    "'Follow your instinct', said the Tomboy! Idiot! You led us right to them!" Orochimaru glared at her as they ran past the previous crossroads, this time taking the left road. The girl glared right back.

    "Shut up! Everyone can make a wrong bet!" She snapped.

    _All _your_ bets are wrong, idiot! _Although a very strong and talented genin, Tsunade had absolutely no gambling sense, losing in every game of chance he'd seen her play with Jiraiya or anyone else. Yet she still fancied herself an expert. _And her expertise could very well get us in hot, no, scalding water! _

    "Arguing about it won't help. I have no idea where we are. And you obviously don't." The pale genin noted acidly.

   "We're in this because you tried to handle this by yourself!" Tsunade huffed. Her eyes didn't seem to take what she'd just said very seriously. Orochimaru, however, was stung, both by the accusation and the fact that there was more than a little truth in it.

    He couldn't deny that, under all of the strategy, he had hoped he'd be able to deal with the situation on his own. No, not hoped. He had been certain that he could pull it off. He had snapped at Tsunade for her lack of judgement, but wasn't he the one to blame? _No. My Bunshin no Jutsu worked! If it hadn't been for her-_

    "There's no time for this, Tsunade! Once we tell Sarutobi-sensei about this-" He began as they rounded a corner into a large alleyway between two wooden buildings. Spotting something he defensively put his arm up, and the kunai that would have stuck his throat instead stuck into his arm. Tsunade stopped in surprise, and they both looked to see the way before them by another man. Slightly older, he seemed to wear slightly better clothes than the two they'd met. He gritted his teeth as he felt the other two catch up.

    "So, our impressions were correct. Only genins can think some bunshins will take us off a trail. Instead of worrying about finding your sensei, kid, I think you should start answering my questions." The leader said. He moved. Nowhere near as fluidly as either Sarutobi or Ayako. _Now more than chuunins. Doesn't matter. We can't fight three of them off with our abilities. _And then he quickly began to think about what techniques he could use, and pulled the kunai out. Blood spilled, but with the adrenaline, he felt little pain.

    _A trap. And we're caught. But if they think I'll admit defeat, they're sadly mistaken!_

_Present time..._

    "Not necessarily my wisest decision, but there was no choice. I wasn't about to give over to such unworthy people. And Tsunade quickly got too angry to ever consider it." Orochimaru said, looking into the gloom. His arms were starting to hurt again, and it annoyed him.

    Kabuto seemed on the verge of asking a question, but finally only nodded. However, the look in his eyes told him everything. _Hah. Don't think that because I was weak forty years ago, that I can't kill you now, even with this handicap._

"To answer your unvoiced question: yes, we were beaten." he had the surprised satisfaction of seeing the young man in front of him jump slightly. _I guessed right, it seems._ "Or, I should say, it had begun that way. Things certainly weren't looking good for a while."

_38 Years earlier..._

   Orochimaru barely dodged the kick thrown his way, and then had to defend against a quick combo. Fear griped him, and chakra filled him. He used both to fuel his senses as he attempted to stay alive. He needed them to keep from freezing up from the two killer instincts being thrown his way.

    He flipped backward, thrust himself to the side as one opponent threw himself at him, a sturdy boot painfully scratching his ear, and threw a shuriken where the other opponent was. The adversary was already moving, however, and finally caught him with a powerful, quick hand blow, which sent him flying. Instinct allowed him to distribute the impact, but the damage was done - the pain was already beginning to slow him down. His arms still bled, his head throbbed from the blow he'd received, and he probably had more bruises than he'd ever had in his entire academic years.

    _This is bad. Very bad. No time for arrogance here, Orochimaru. Come up with a plan _fast_, or you'll be dead...or worse._

    One thing was certain - there were definitely Mist Shinobi there. One of them had the headband proudly - and somewhat foolishly - strapped to his arm. _The Mist is spying around here. Big info. Great help that gives me._

    "You're not too bad, Leaf brat. For a genin, you move pretty good. And so is your angry girlfriend there." The taller of the two shinobis he was fighting

    Tsunade had gone into the fray quicker than he had, charging the 'leader' with a kunai in each hand. Although it was clear that the chuunin had the upper hand, she was giving almost as good as she got. _And her fists seem to do _some_ damage! I didn't know she had that kind of strength. _Still, their predicament did not change. Defiantly, he glared at the Mist shinobis, who only laughed.

    "You're fast, but that won't keep you alive long!" The smaller snarled, lunging at Orochimaru.

    "Bunshin no Jutsu!" Orochimaru called, having quickly done the hand seal even as the attacks commenced again. His chakra strained a bit, but five clones appeared even as he gritted his teeth. At once, three of them went for the smaller one, while he and the other two went for the tall enemy.

   It would only be moments before his subterfuge was discovered. He attacked along with his clones, using the momentary confusion. At once, two attacked him from the sides, and the Mist shinobi quickly reacted to them, hitting them both with swiftness. They exploded into spent chakra, but for a moment, the swift action had rendered the enemy vulnerable.

    He saw that weakness and dove for it, plunging his two remaining kunai deep into his opponent. One in the chest, one in the throat. _Didn't think fast enough this time! _With one down, he had a slim chance to fight on. Or, if worse came to worse, slip out. Even if that meant leaving Tsunade behind. The girl was being flung into some trash, bruised. Her eyes, however, were still combative. _I'll leave only if I really have to. But still-_

Any other thought vanished as the Shinobi was suddenly replaced by a garbage can. His eyes widened, but he was still in the air. _Kawarimi no Jutsu! No! _I _fell for the trap! _The thought barely had time to register before he received a kick in the abdomen, forcing him upward, then down. Another kick. Up. And down. And another. He then fell to the ground.

    He retched, the pain intensified, almost too much to bear. Only stubbornness kept him from passing out. _Can't...pass out. If I do, I'm dead._ From the corner of his eye, he saw Tsunade; one eye completely puffed shut, lip split, struggling to get back from a vicious attack. _I can't die here! I refuse to die here!_

"Genins know nothing. They're of no use, Kill them." he heard the leader say.

    He couldn't believe it. His first C-mission, and he was going to die? He refused to accept it, tried to force his body to rise, but it wouldn't obey. He would die nearly vomiting. _This isn't the way I wanted it! I won't die like this! No! _

    And then there were puff of smoke, and he felt the Mist shinobi stop in their tracks. He raised his head painfully, unable to fully control it with the intense throbbing and retching. He was surprised - and more than mildly relieved - to see that Sarutobi and Ayako had arrived. _How? _He wondered only briefly, before seeing that Jiraiya was gently helping Tsunade stay upright, and coming in his direction. _Jiraiya. Snowball told them._

"Well, well, agents of the Hidden Mist mistreating Leaf Genins. I don't like that at all." Sarutobi said, in a voice that chilled Orochimaru despite not being the target. And then he felt something. A force that nearly made him pass out. Not, not one force. Two. _Killing...killing intent. So strong. This is beyond what I felt from those of the Mist. Is...is it...jounin strength?_

"You people think its great to beat some kids. I'm sure you'd do the same to a pretty face like me, eh?" Ayako said lightly, but there was a world of deadly steal between each word. Orochimaru tried to keep conscious, but was losing the fight. His ribs hurt. His stomach, his head, his arms and legs. Everything hurt.

    "Lets play your game." Sarutobi told the Mist shinobi icily. Losing consciousness, Orochimaru felt a slight bit of pity for the Mist.

    Slight pity, and vicious joy.


	7. Chapter Seven

_ What the eye can see, the hand may kill. We see all, thus we may kill anyone._

- Hyuuga Zhengi, Second Master of the Head Family

_'What will be, will be.' It allows us to accept the inevitable. But it does not deter us from the will to struggle. That Will of Fire, that unbending need to survive, is part of the reason I love Konoha so much._

- Dying words of the First Hokage

Future Legends

Chapter Seven

Jiraiya left the brothel in a rather good mood. Despite the fact that Tsunade had managed to elude him so far, he wasn't particularly worried. Certainly, he wanted to find her and bring her back to Konoha as soon as possible, but he had been a Shinobi too long to let concerns govern his life. Being worried all the time always led to people being inefficient. And inefficient shinobis were most often dead shinobis.

So he had no problem with relieving stress with a pretty girl or two. And the past weeks of travelling with Naruto had proven to be particularly stressful, mainly thanks to the boy's habit of being energetic and loud in absolutely everything he did. 'I know it's a way for the kid to cope with a hard life, but still...'

"Have a good night, sir!" A pretty lady who probably had far less than half his age told him, dressed rather alluringly. He found himself grinning foolishly in response.

"Yeah,! Thanks a bunch!" he said, wildly waving before leaving. Interesting as her looks were to him - he might use some descriptions to help him write his Come Come Paradise series - the thought of doing more than look never crossed his mind. He was a super-pervert, self-admittedly, but he wasn't nearly depraved enough to sleep with a teenager, just a child to him.

'Well,' he admitted inwardly, 'Not depraved enough yet.' He chuckled and shook his head wryly.

He returned to the motel where he and his war had been staying for the last three days, and found himself verbally attacked the moment he entered his room.

"Aha! There you are, Perverted Hermit! What kind of nasty things did you do now?" The blond boy, who sat cross-legged on the bed, pointed at him and glared. Out of habit, Jiraiya glared right back.

"Hey! That's not how a beginner like you should address a Sannin. So careful what you say!" Despite his lecturing words, he'd never been good at looking stern. Not like the Third had been. And Jiraiya had some doubts Naruto listened to the Third all the time. Consequently, he wasn't surprised when his words only had the effect of making the Genin more combative.

"So what? Some shinobi you are! What were you doing, anyway?" Naruto huffed.

"I was gathering information on Tsunade, brat!" Jiraiya growled. It wasn't the truth, but he wasn't about to say so. Unfortunately, Naruto had seen his activities too long to be convinced.

"Yeah, right! Information-gathering! Kakashi-sensei always got lost and came up with dumb excuses, and you're not even original with them! Lame! Lame! Lame, lame, lame! You were just doing some hanky-panky with some girl, I bet!" Naruto snapped, crossing his arms, as he often did when his point was made.

"Shut up, you insubordinate kid!" Jiraiya thundered, at a lost, and the two entered a glaring contest. Inwardly, the legendary shinobi found a world of hope in the boy's willpower. It had led the kid to overcome many obstacles in his life. 'Stubborn like the Fourth was, except far louder about things. Sure reminds me of a white-haired genin sometimes.' he reflected, and this made him grin, breaking the tension.

"What are you smiling about?" The boy asked suspiciously.

"Oh, not much. Just reminded me of something." The older man tried to dodge the subject away, but the Genin wouldn't have it.

"Something? What, what? Hey, hey, tell me, tell me!" Naruto asked, nearly bouncing on his bed. 'Darn, what a noisy kid! I remember having three kids to teach, and they never made that much noise - combined!'

"Geez, would you clap it down a bit! That's why I'm saying you're not the Fourth!" he grinned, "You sound more like me, actually."

"Eh?! No way! I'm not like you!" Jiraiya chuckled at the slightly horrified tone the Genin gained. After all, it wasn't really encouraging to be compared with an aging man who peeked on young women, wrote dirty books, and visited brothels for fun. 'And that's exactly how 'I' would have reacted back in the days. Looks bad, Naruto. But, in another sense, looks very good too.'

Jiraiya was glad to know that, unless something went terribly wrong, he'd live long enough to see what kind of shinobi that loud kid would become. He was a clumsy boy, but one possessed of an unbreakable spirit that never knew to give up. That was one of the main reasons he felt that the kid's dream of becoming Hokage might just be realized one day. Jiraiya never would tell the boy so - arrogance spoiled good people more often than not - but he easily saw why the younger Kakashi - who was a difficult man to please - had told him Naruto would one day be at least a Jounin, and one of the strongest.

The legendary Sannin saw that it was indeed possible, but that there was a lot of work to be done. And that was what made it fun. With the Fourth, he'd had to get the kid out of his shell, especially after seeing just how gifted he was. Naruto was different. He was all energy and little reason, probably because that was his way to keep from being hurt. But in a way, neither Naruto nor the Fourth seemed that incredible right at the beginning. Jiraiya had never wanted or particularly like brats whom had everything handed to them and strutted it to others.

"Oh yes, you sound like me!" he laughed. "My, you sound like me! Ready to throttle your own sensei in frustration. I had my share of fights with the Third. I did things my way and I was stubborn. I learned. You'll learn too." he laughed again at the kid's dismay, and sat down on his bed.

"I feel in a good mood tonight. So how about I tell you the time when...when I really saw the Third - although he wasn't Hokage yet back then - fight." At the word 'fight', he saw Naruto's eyes light up. The boy loved a good story, and he liked it even more when there was a fight involved.

"Yay, yay!" the Genin exclaimed, the previous discussion seemingly forgotten. Jiraiya briefly wondered if a kid with so little attention span could truly master the Rasengan. 'Too late for that.' he told himself as the boy seated himself nearer. "Perverted hermit, I heard that gramps was the strongest Hokage ever. Was he as strong as that?"

"Well, not quite. He was still a jounin back then. I think that the Second Hokage was stronger yet. But Sarutobi was one of the best even then. I realized that much when I watched him fight." He grinned as he was reminded of the event forcefully.

"Cool! Was it when your were a Genin?" Naruto asked excitedly.

"Right. More than that, it was during our first real C-grade mission." he mused "It was supposed to be simple. But, as with everything related to a war, it wasn't. To make it short, Tsunade and Orochimaru were cornered and beaten by three enemy chuunins. I, Sarutobi-sensei and Ayako-san barely made it in time. That's when Sarutobi got busy.

"Err...just one thing. Who's Ayako-san?" Naruto inquired.

"Ayako was Sarutobi's girlfriend then." Jiraiya chuckled as Naruto clearly showed difficulty digesting that. "She was something too. But she didn't get to show it as much."

38 years earlier...

Jiraiya helped Orochimaru limp to where Tsunade - herself in a rather bad shape - was being covered by Ayako. He kept watch on the Mist shinobi, who all looked far less smug than they did when he'd arrived. Sarutobi only looked at them, but it seemed to prevent them from attacking. Sarutobi spoke only when Jiraiya struggled near the kunoichi jounin.

"Ayako, keep those three covered, would you? I'll take care of the problem." Sarutobi spoke in his normal voice, yet something in it made Jiraiya's hair stand up.

"Hogging all the fun to yourself? How like you." Ayako's tease, however, was just as eerily dangerous.

"Sorry about that. In any case, there's no way I'll have problems with three midgets like that." The jounin said. It immediately seemed to anger the Mist ninjas, but they only spread out in response.

A moment passed. And then Jiraiya's heart nearly stopped. A wave of steely mental energy, a fighting spirit of enormous potency began to leak from Sarutobi, causing the Mist to jerk a bit in surprise. 'My God! Is...I-is that Sarutobi-sensei's killing intent? I-I never t-thought it was 'anything' as strong as this.' He reflected, feeling terror slip into him beside him, Tsunade and Orochimaru were wide-eyed despite their injuries. Only Ayako stood absolutely unmoved.

"Whatever happens, do 'not' stray from my side." She told them. Unlike the other times, there was no playfulness in her voice. Her order sounded almost like a threat, and Jiraiya realized he would never disobey it for the world.

Sarutobi and the three Mists stared at each other for many moments, each poised on the edge of violence. Each seemed a statue, but the killing intents showed that they were very much alive. Jiraiya realized that the three were indeed projecting a fighting spirit - they were just dwarfed by Sarutobi's.

And then one of the Mists raised his hand slightly, and all three jumped in unison, each aiming for a different vital point. Sarutobi seemed not to notice until the last moment, and Jiraiya briefly wondered if the man's fighting spirit wasn't just that. And then Sarutobi moved.

It wasn't as much as three counters as a continuous one. Sarutobi struck the first one with a great blow on the neck with his right arm, and continued the movement, whirling in place. His left leg shot out, and caught the second one squarely in the abdomen before his sweeping right arm recoiled and gave the third a terrific palm strike on the chest. All three were flung back whence they came. Before they even managed to regain their feet, Sarutobi had regained his waiting position, as if nothing had happened.

"I...incredible!" Tsunade breathed, and Jiraiya could only nod at that. 'Never thought that annoying sensei was that strong!'

One of the Mist shinobis did hand seals, while the other two lunged towards him. Still, neither Sarutobi nor Ayako moved an inch. Instead, Jiraiya found that they were simply focusing on their enemies's movements.

"Katon! Hosenka!" The mist cried, and sent multiple balls of fire racing towards the group. Jiraiya recoiled, and he even heard Orochimaru gasp, when Sarutobi's voice resounded.

"Suiton! Suiryuudan No Jutsu!" Just as the Jounin shouted, a huge body of water formed, seemingly out of nowhere, taking the shape of a fearsome dragon. The fireballs hit and were absorbed into it, while the dragon struck out like a tidal wave. The Mist ninjas seemed to vanish out under the gigantic wave. Or so Jiraiya thought, until he saw one - the one who was farther from the Jounin attack - leaping towards a wounded Orochimaru.

"Die, Leaf!" He shouted as he came down, having drawn a slim dagger. Jiraiya began to move out on his own accord, his mouth opening to warn the weakened pale genin, when Ayako seemed to materialize in front of the leaping Mist. In one swift move, she grabbed the hand that held the dagger and, with a twist of unbelievable strength, broke it. Before the Mist even had a chance to even scream, she grabbed his face, her hand flashing for moment, before kicking the attacker away.

At once, to Jiraiya's horror, the man began to scream, grasping, clawing at his face, as if he was being scorched by something. Ayako looked towards the screaming man with frightening disinterest. She then turned her gaze towards Sarutobi, and Jiraiya saw his sensei returning with the other two Mist Shinobis. Both were dripping wet, and obviously out for the count.

"Oh, I see, a torture jutsu." Sarutobi said, barely glancing at the struggling, screaming Mist.

"He'll live. I didn't give him a strong one." she sighed as if the battle was only a simple irritant. 'Is that what jounin are? They look...'used' to it.' Jiraiya wondered. Tsunade's coughing brought more immediate concerns, as Ayako went to check Jiraiya's two teammates. She quickly finished, her face serious but not desperate.

"They're not in good shape. That boy especially. I'll bring them back to the inn and check on them. You take care of these three jerks until we can contact an ANBU Interrogation Team." She said. Sarutobi nodded, then seemed to remember Jiraiya was there, and speared the white-haired Genin with a gaze that made him jump.

"Jiraiya. Follow me and help me secure those three. I'll need you to contact the ANBU. Don't just stand there. Make yourself useful." Jiraiya didn't even try to argue. He knew better than to contradict a jounin using a tone like that.

Sarutobi knew that he'd gone very near to killing the three enemy chuunins, even though he knew that they could reveal useful information. It had taken all of his reasoning not to finish the job when he'd found two of them unconscious after his water jutsu. Everything within him called for bloodshed.

He knew what had pushed him into this anger. Partly, it had been seeing those chuunins mangling two of his students. But the deeper reason, he admitted it in heart of hearts, was one of self-disgust. He'd let his own students wander about in a potentially dangerous situation. He had miscalculated the risks. And if Jiraiya hadn't found he and Ayako that quickly, two of Konoha's most promising genins would have been lost.

The Second had once told him, when he'd been just given the jounin rank, that being a team leader was half work and half responsibility. But, the second had warned him; teaching genins was one part work, and four parts responsibility. He hadn't understood what his former sensei had implied. Now he did all too well.

"I can see why you're always so respectful with those jounins who have taught more than one team, Kenji-sensei." He muttered as he checked the ropes binding one of the three chuunins. They held perfectly. 'Good', he reflected coldly 'those three won't be able to use hand seals.' To be certain, he'd also gagged them.

"Err...Sarutobi-sensei?" Jiraiya asked from the door of the shack they'd found. He gazed at the boy.

"What is it, Jiraiya?" He asked tiredly.

"Are they...are they going to be alright? Orochimaru looked...bad." There was no hiding the anxiety in the genin's voice. That was something, which seemed to fade away when a ninja gained skill - that ability to show true emotions.

He considered the boy's words carefully before answering. He'd seen Orochimaru's and Tsunade's wounds. Although only superficial, his survey had told him the blonde girl would quickly be fine. Orochimaru, however, was something else.

"Tsunade should be recovered by the end of the week. Orochimaru...well, we'll treat him with to the best of our knowledge. I asked Ayako because she does have better skill at using chakkra to mend wounds than I do. With her, his chances are very good." He finally stated, schooling his features to appear. The boy appeared to relax, and Sarutobi noted that there had been guilt on the youth's face.

"Phew! I'm glad to hear that!. Boy, Sarutobi-sensei, you sure kicked their asses! They didn't stand a chance!" The white-haired boy almost danced as he said this, and Sarutobi nearly grinned despite the situation.

"It's not so bad. I've fought in worst situations." 'And that,' Sarutobi chided himself, 'should have made me more aware of the dangers I was sending you three in.' The boy didn't notice the trouble behind his answer, though.

"And that jutsu! That was an advanced water jutsu, wasn't it? But there wasn't any water, and you told us that water jutsus only work near water." Jiraiya exclaimed.

"Well, it's the truth. There are a few ways to do it without water, but it means a large amount of chakkra gets expanded, and it needs much control. I can barely do it. Only the Second has the ability to use water-less water jutsus for long. But then, that's why he's the Hokage. You've a 'long' way to go before you think of even using advanced water jutsus." he lectured, then winced at his own patronizing tone. 'I really don't have the knack.' he sighed inwardly.

"Aww, Sarutobi-sensei! That's what you keep saying. Not ready, not ready! I'm sure we'd be able to learn fast if you tried us a bit!" Jiraiya complained. The jounin raised his eyebrows. Before he rebuked the boy, however, he considered the core of the complaint.

Truth be told, he had to admit that he hadn't taught them much besides the basics. The Second had been faster. 'But the times were especially rough back then. He had no choice but to push us fast.' he argued, only to have a little voice remind him that the present times might soon become as bad as could be.

'Maybe I'm just not giving them enough trust.' he thought.

"Well, perhaps. You 'do' need to know more than this, if you ever get in such a situation again. We'll wait until the others have recovered, then I'll see if I can teach you some more justus." he finally stated. The boy beamed at that.

"Cool! I can't wait!" he cried, nearly jumping around. This time Sarutobi smirked as they left the shack and paused on the threshold.

"Now, Jiraiya, you should go see Ayako-san. She'll need more help than I taking care of those two. Off you go now." The jounin said, only to have the boy hesitate.

"But..Sarutobi-sensei...if those three get loose." Jiraiya began.

"If that happens, I can handle them. You can't at your level. Besides, I already arranged for a message to be sent to Konoha. A team will be here in a few hours at the most." Sarutobi explained. "Now Jiraiya, go help Ayako-san. We'll talk later."

"Okay, sensei. See ya!" Although still somewhat uncertain, the boy knew better than to argue further in such a situation, and left in a flash.

Sarutobi sighed. Although he didn't dislike the white-haired boy, Jiraiya had too much energy, something that always left someone drained when he was nearby. Already feeling rather banged up emotionally; he didn't need the overactive kid keeping watch with him. He grinned as he imagined the hard times the good-intentioned kid would give Ayako. 'Sorry, Ayako. I really need this time for myself. Gotta be selfish from time to time, I guess.'

He sat down near the entrance, his senses alert to any movement from both inside and outside, and considered the ramifications if what he'd seen already. The Mist were present. Near Konoha, far too near. It made Sarutobi wonder if the defences of the Leaf hadn't become somewhat lax. 'We get used to peace too easily.' he reasoned.

And the Mist didn't want to be found. If it had been a lawful business, the shinobi would have identified themselves and their purpose, and probably gone on their way. Not so here. They had been ready to kill two children to make certain they wouldn't be discovered. That had never been the way of a faction who had peaceful intent.

He knew that, if other teams found at least similar hints - and they probably would - the Second Hokage would have no choice but to consider such groups near Konoha as an act of war. Jounins and Chuunins of both Hidden Villages would fight each other, and Genin would eventually be called as well. Dozens of shinobi would die, and how many civilians?

War was coming between the Leaf and the Mist.

"No that's wrong." Sarutobi mused as he looked inside the shack, which stood just outside the town. "The war isn't coming. It's already begun in earnest."

Jiraiya had always been good at being stealthy. For all of his loud remarks and attitude, he had been first of his class where it had come to stealth. It had served him well for many purposes. He had been able to eavesdrop and learn many interesting things. Eventually, he had created a small, but very useful technique he had dubbed Doton No Jutsu. A veil of chakkra, so that he may stand close to someone and still be undetected.

From what he'd learned, a skill like that would be very useful later on, since B-rank missions and above often involved lots of secret and stealth. Jiraiya, however, had already found one perfect use for his little jutsu.

He used it to spy on girls. He'd done it for the last two years, with success. And, recently, it had become increasingly fun to watch young girls his age. Thus, once Jiraiya had learned that the town had baths, and seeing that he was of little use in treating his comrades' wounds, the white-haired genin had quickly excused himself, and gone off to practice his spying further.

"Not bad, not bad. These girls are kinda cute." he chuckled to himself as he spied through a crack between planks. It offered him a wide field of vision of the women baths, and of its occupants. Some of them, probably slightly older than Jiraiya was, were definitely interesting to look at.

He chuckled to himself, despite knowing what his parents thought of playing voyeur. His old man had told him many times what he thought of those who spied on the opposite sex. Strange and shameless, he called them that with unusual fire. Still, Jiraiya didn't quite understand what the big deal was. It wasn't like he wanted to hurt anyone with looking. And if the girls would feel angry and hurt by his peeking well...that was why Doton no Jutsu existed!

Jiraiya grinned as he spied a pretty brunette who was both slim and perky. Just his type. He was about to reach for the binoculars he usually used to see the details of his catches, when he heard a commotion farther away. He normally would have ignored it, except that he had heard the distinctive sound of a kunai hitting a wooden surface.

Worry crept on him. If there was a team of Mist here yet, he was in no position to fight. His fighting jutsus and his chakkra control were still rather limited. And although he truly didn't like the snake, he had to admit, deep down, that Orochimaru was the better shinobi so far. 'And he got his ass kicked.' he thought as the dim sounds of a struggle continued. 'Why isn't anyone checking what the fuss is about?'

It was a valid question, but Jiraiya found that it only served to hide his own cowardice. Would his father have hesitated when something nasty might be going on? No way sir! Jiraiya, acting purely on reluctant instinct, pushing himself with the humiliating image of himself fleeing, increased the Doton no Jutsu to its maximum level,. and swiftly walked among the baths, until he came to the door where the noise had come from. He could feel presences within, and peeked quickly.

They didn't see him, but he managed to get a very clear picture of the situation. Two people, a boy and a girl dressed in shinobi fighting garb, were busy holding down and tying a bundle of some sort. From the muffled curses and thrashing of said bundle, it wasn't an easy task. He noticed that the headbands were of the Mist, and stiffened. 'More Mist! That makes five, this close to Konoha! What the hell's goin' on here?!'

"Damn, that kid sure made this difficult. You sure she was the last? If anyone from Kumo got through-" the male worried, panting. Obviously they had both tired themselves out in some way, Jiraiya realized. 'Kumo...the Hidden Village of Cloud.' he thought.

"You worry too much. This one was the last." the female snapped.

"However..." the man tried.

"However, what? Whatever message the Raikage wanted to tell the Hokage, he should have taken better precautions. As if genins would pass undetected!" the female growled in a firm tone. The man seemed to admit defeat on that point, and both concentrated on tying the bundle firmly.

Jiraiya nearly threw his hands up in defeat. 'Why did I, oh why did I listen! Now that I know that whoever that is had something to tell the Second, I can't leave it like this!' he briefly thought about getting Sarutobi-sensei, but dropped the idea. 'It'd take too long they'll be gone soon. They'll take that messenger to a secluded spot, and there...' he shook his head and grunted inaudibly. 'Can't sit this one out. Dammit! My first battle, and I'm scared as hell!'

He had to act. Fortunately, he wasn't facing any ready shinobi. To Jiraiya's eyes, they seemed rather tired. 'I might have a chance here. I can't take them on in combat. But if I could just do a little diversion.' Frantically, he prepared a kunai, settled himself mentally, and moved.

He threw the kunai at the opposite wall, causing the Mist shinobi to whirl to face him. Tired as they were, they didn't hesitate, crouching and bringing their arms up defensively. The two side stared at each other a moment.

"Sorry, people. If this one wants to tell the Hokage something, I'll make it happen! Bunshin no Jutsu!" He molded chakra as hard a he could, drawing upon himself, and created six versions of himself, which separated into two groups and surrounded both enemies. The male seemed more disbelieving than anything else as he looked back at the genin.

"You want to take us on with Bunshin? Have you lost you mind?" he asked, and both advanced towards the bunshins in derision. Both stepped a good step away from the struggling bundle. Jiraiya could barely suppress a manic, fear-filled grin, as he ran forward, his hand forming a seal.

The three explosive notes, which Jiraiya had rolled around his kunai, blew at the same moment, a deafening deflagration that brought fear-filled screams from everywhere at once. The other occupants of the baths had finally noticed that something was wrong. As it blew, Jiraiya threw his arms forward to protect himself from the blast.

"Why you little leaf runt!" the female growled, fatigue and the momentum destabilizing her as she tried to step back towards him. Jiraiya took hold of the bundle, which still struggled, and using both adrenaline and chakra, brought it to the gaping hole. Outside, people were beginning to congregate, and he knew that his sensei couldn't help but hear the sound of an explosion like that.

And Jiraiya couldn't resist turning back once, and giving the two angry enemies his most arrogant smile.

"You really should train more!" he winked, and then ran outside.

And he poured on the speed, drawing as much chakra as he could. There was no way something like that would slow them more than a few instants, even in the state they were in. He had taken two enemy shinobis' prey. He had learned what doing something like that meant. Once that happened, the prey was the one who stole. The hunt was on.

All because he'd wanted to peek at some girls. The world wasn't fair.

"Damn day keeps getting better and better! Why do I have to play hero!" Jiraiya shouted once, as he disappeared from sight as quickly as he could.

The Present...

"I knew it! You were already a pervert back then! Gross!"

"Just listen to the damned story already, you noisy brat!"

38 years earlier...

Jiraiya's father and mother had been good shinobi. His father, although he had refused to undertake the special trials to become a Jounin, was as respected in Konoha as if he held the rank. His mother had never risen far in the ranks, but her defiant recovery from crippling wounds had inspired respect among the shinobi elements of the Hidden Village.

The white-haired genin had nothing but respect for either of them. And, he had to be frank with himself as he ran with a struggling bundle; he truly wished one of them was there to give him some sound battle advice.

His escape had been followed by a dash through the streets. Using smoke bombs to hinder their sight, bunshins to confused them, and every stealthy spying trick he'd ever developed, his luck had held, if barely. He had managed to elude them after many close calls that - thankfully - had never turned into fights. His breath short and frantic, the genin finally found himself in a small park of sorts, with people strolling about. It was far from any festivities, but Jiraiya wished to avoid any embarrassing questions as to his cargo, and he dashed behind some tall bushes to examine whatever it was that he had caught.

He reeled backward when he found a man and a woman. Both were blissfully unaware of his presence. Both were also engaged in an embrace even Jiraiya's budding hormones couldn't conceive. Part of him was repulsed, while another found itself intensely fascinated by the sight. He didn't know how long her would have stared, if the bundle had struggled and brought him back to reality sharply.

"Alright, already. Hold on." Jiraiya muttered, and dashed away from the repulsively fascinating couple to dash up a large, bushy tree. No innocence-shattering - although Jiraiya wasn't hypocrite enough to consider himself that - sight greeted him there, and taking out a kunai, he worked on the cords holding whoever or whatever he had been carrying.

After a few swift movements, a person emerged, and Jiraiya couldn't help but stare in shock. The person that the Mist shinobi had been so keen on keeping from escaping looked like a girl barely older than he was. Red-haired, with a slim build, the girl didn't look any different than Tsunade. What shocked him even more than all the rest was that the girl was naked. Bound, gagged and blindfolded, she seemed to tensely wait for something. 'She's got a nice chest, unlike the tomboy.' he thought wildly, before realizing that the girl, of all things, might be cautious of him.

"Ah, yeah. Listen...I'm going to free your hands, okay? Just don't, you know, slap me silly for being a guy. I'm a Leaf, not a Mist, so you don't have to worry. And I only stared a little. Honest, just a little! No more than that! Really!" Jiraiya exclaimed. He prattled on nervously as he cut the ropes holding the girl's hands. Then came the second shock. In such a state, Tsunade would have torn the gag and blindfold off and probably either chewed him out or killed him. The girl simply undid her gag, and took out her blindfold, and regarded Jiraiya calmly.

"You're definitely not a Mist." she said simply. It almost made Jiraiya forget about the girl's state of undress, and the fact that she'd struggled so much before he'd freed her.

"Sorry, but how the heck can you tell?" he inquired. She gave him a level look.

"Your eyes aren't haunted enough. You don't have blood on your hands. So you can't be a Mist." She answered, then sighed and smiled slightly. "I don't know how you managed, but thank you for your aid."

'Cold like Orochimaru, but nice in her own way.' Jiraiya wondered. He then self-consciously scratched his head, grinning.

"Nah, just lucky. I'm pretty good at sneaking, and I just happened to catch them off-guard. Shaking them off after that...that was a pretty nice piece of work, however!" Jiraiya, although he had to admit he had been lucky pretty much all the while, felt he ought to give himself some credit. So he hadn't fought those two fair and square.

'So what! I'm not a Jounin here!' he defended himself mentally. The girl only look at him, then looked down. With a swift move she covered herself. A small part of Jiraiya's mind - a growing small part these days - sighed in mild disappointment.

"I see. Is it...possible for me to have some clothes? I don't think we'll be able to pass undetected if I walk around like this." She stated. He nodded swiftly.

"Right, you're right. That's right." he remembered the troubling scene in the bushes, and clapped his hands once. "I got it! Wait here...urm..."

"Maya. Kunichi Maya of Kumo." She answered, again with that small smile. Jiraiya found he didn't dislike that way she had.

"Nice! I'm Mudoya Jiraiya of Konoha! It's a real pleasure! Now, just hold on! Be back!" The white-haired Genin answered. Inwardly, however, worry was starting to creep in. These shinobi were bound to look for them. Sarutobi-sensei was busy guarding the others, and getting to him would leave them exposed. They had to get to Ayako-san. Three against two, with a strong Jounin on their side - Jiraiya could trust such odds.

So intent on their own dealings, the couple did not see the white-haired boy as he grabbed several articles and carried them to Maya. None of them fit, of course, the clothes being from a fully-grown woman. But they managed to make enough fit to cover her rather decently. She'd look strange, but at least be able to walk through the crowd.

They started off slowly. Although some people stared at Maya's appearance, both youths managed to get through over three quarter of the way before Jiraiya glimpsed shapes briefly appearing at the edge of his vision.

"They're here." He told the girl, only to see her forming seals. The girl turned towards the place the shapes had vanished to and thrust one hand, the other held up in the Serpent Seal.

"Ninpou! Tataku Inazuma no Jutsu!" She yelled, and five arcs of chakra-made lightning struck at the other roof. Bits of spiritual electricity raged as Maya sagged visibly, making the crowd roar in panic, then turned towards him. "This should make them a bit more cautious. But not for long! Lets use the commotion I caused!"

Jiraiya swallowed, then stiffened himself. Orochimaru and Tsunade had fought when forced to, and so would he. Still, he ran rather gratefully, grabbing Maya's hand to guide her to the hotel. Time and time again, he looked over his shoulder, expecting an attack any moment. So intent was he upon his back that he nearly bowled into Ayako-san herself, as she exited a shop with arms full of groceries. Her gaze had been fixed upward, and Jiraiya guessed that she had felt the hostile presences from afar.

"Here you are Jiraiya-kun! I see you've run into some bit of trouble yourself! Good thing I don't have to rescue you, too!" the jounin said brightly, but there was steel in her voice as she spoke. She looked at Maya with a gentle yet penetrating gaze. Jiraiya felt his mouth glue. Fortunately, the Kumo girl held to her voice.

"Are...are you a jounin of Konoha?" she asked hesitantly, yet hurriedly. There was a look in her eyes then. As if she was near a goal long sought. Jiraiya could only gaped at the intensity. Ayako, face still pleasant, merely nodded. The girl suddenly grasped the older woman's sleeve urgently.

"Please take me to Konoha! I have an urgent message from the Fourth Raikage to the Second Hokage! The Mizukage has set his sight on controlling the Hidden Villages, and Konoha is next!" She cried, her voice intent and serious. Upon hearing the words, Jiraiya froze. Maya's words meant only one thing: war.


	8. Chapter Eight

_I don't know that much, friends. I'm not that good with words, but let me tell my piece. I know that I could become a Jounin. But I don't want to. It's not cowardice, many of you know me. It's simply that I made a choice in my life. About myself. And that I am okay with it. Always will be. So, sorry as I am, I must refuse the offer._

_-Futema Mudoya_

**Future Legends**

**Chapter Eight**

Jiraiya didn't hate ramen. He'd eaten it from time to time throughout his life. There were types of ramen he never took. Some others he had a sort of liking for. The legendary shinobi had actually never hated food as far as he could remember, and he could remember pretty far.

But that would change soon, if Naruto begged him to eat at ramen stands much more often.

He had never seen someone love one single type of food so much. Even the Aburames, the most restricted eaters in all of Konoha - as well as the single strangest clan - ate more varied food than Naruto would if Jiraiya hadn't been more stubborn than the kid.

Naruto based about three quarter of his food consumption on ramen. While it increasingly irritated the middle-aged shinobi to eat the same sort of thing more often than he would like, he had indulged the boy. Especially when some subtle questioning had revealed that the Ichiraku Ramen restaurant had been the only one who gave him meals, even though he had money to pay. It made Jiraiya angrier than he showed, and more than once he had cursed the foolish villagers. And so he bore with the boy's tastes.

'Still, even the food I carried on missions back in the day were a bit more varied than this.' he reflected mournfully as he ate some ramen with bacon stoically.

The growing indifference of the Sannin didn't register to the hyperactive Genin, as the blonde-haired boy attacked his third extra-large bowl with unbelievable gusto. It impressed Jiraiya that Naruto could eat so much without getting sick. 'I supposed it goes with that thing inside of him. The seal's advantages are pretty big when used right, but that's gotta guzzle up things. I suppose he's unconsciously eating to keep up.'

Jiraiya sighed. It was a nice theory, and if it followed what the Third had surmised once, things would work out for Naruto when he's age. Until then, the kid'd be a food monster. The man chuckled at the image, which had the effect of drawing the young kid's attention.

"Whrr hrrmng ygn htmgn, prhmntn ehrmn?" came the question. Well, Jiraiya assumed it was a question, with all the inquisitive inflections. What the question was, however, was lost in the mouthful of noodles and condiments that filled the boy's mouth. Jiraiya sighed once more, in annoyance.

"Do you think I can understand a word? Swallow the darn thing." Jiraiya said. The blonde Genin gave him a miffed look, before swallowing noisily. That he didn't strangle himself with that was another wonder.

"I said, why aren't you eating, perverted hermit? Your ramen is getting cold!" Naruto accused, as if letting ramen get cold was a crime. 'Well, it might be, to him,'

"Well, guess I'm just not that hungry tonight. I don't usually eat much, anyway." the sannin answered. The short boy gave a loud exclamation, pointing at Jiraiya, and making other people turn around to look.

"Wha-at! You don't look that small, old man! I bet you got some fat in there!" The boy cried, pointing at Jiraiya's belly most disrespectfully.

Jiraiya promptly smacked the Genin upside the head firmly. Not nastily, however. For all of Naruto's embarrassing outbursts - and there were many of those! - the great shinobi had grown fond of the boy, mainly because he discerned that, when it came down to it, everything Naruto did - from his loud voice, to his lasting optimism and drive, came from a desire to survive. Still, there were limits.

"I'm not fat! Not one bit! Get that through that thick skull of yours, you annoying brat! And Genins should show more respect for Jounins!" Jiraiya snapped as the boy gingerly rubbed his head. The boy only blinked back.

"You're a Jounin?" The question sounded genuine from Naruto, which prevented Jiraiya from throttling the boy.

"No, I learned all of these jutsus alone in the woods. Of course I'm a Jounin. I was a Jounin!"

"Longer than Kakashi-sensei?"

"Longer than Kakashi's been 'alive'!"

"Wow, you're really old, eh?"

"Now look here-!" With an effort, Jiraiya controlled himself before he made a scene. It seemed to happen often with that boy. Naruto had a knack to get people to notice him, and had worked up his ability to aggravate to an art form. "Let's stop talking about my rank and my weight, okay?"

The boy seemed to focus on his bowl again, and began eating in earnest. In little time, the bowl was empty. Placing it on top of the growing pile, he called for another. And then promptly looked back on Jiraiya, who was starting to feel slightly sick by the amount of food being ingested near his person.

"Tell me more about your story!" He declared. Jiraiya raised an eyebrow.

"My story? I don't...you mean that story about my old Genin days?" The sannin couldn't think of any other story that could make the Genin's eyes brighten so. Inwardly, hesitated, even as Naruto nodded vigorously. The story had good moments, but bad ones as well. Even before Orochimaru became twisted, dark things happened. He wasn't certain he should convey this to Naruto.

'No. Naruto's actually older than most his age. He can handle it if I come to less savoury parts.' his decision smiled at the boy. Yes, he was becoming quite fond of that one.

"Alright! If that's going to keep you quiet about my weight, why the heck not? I'm in the mood." Jiraiya said, and his smile widened a bit when Naruto cheered. He closed his eyes a moment and remembered another boy, to whom he'd once told such stories. The boy had been blonde, too.

"Okay, where was I last time?" he wondered. Naruto, not usually the best memory, readily answered.

"You just scrammed from those Mist with that girl, and you bumped into that Aya-something woman." He said, as the fourth bowl arrived and he began eating. Jiraiya harrumphed lightly.

"That's a pretty unromantic way to put it, but I suppose that's one way still. Meeting with Ayako-san. I remember. This was the lull before the storm. Nothing less than that. The lull before the storm."

38 years earlier...

Jiraiya wasn't certain he liked how Ayako looked. It wasn't that she looked menacing or anything, she actually looked only concentrated. And yet Jiraiya couldn't help but feel uneasy as she surveyed both he and the girl beside him. In the background, a bandaged Orochimaru and Tsunade looked on with interest. They had come into their hotel room for discretion, and all three sat in chairs.

If Kunichi Maya felt nervous about the stares, she didn't show anything of it. Jiraiya had found that she was an extremely composed person to be so calm after recent events. However, he knew that was the way some shinobis dealt with problems.

"So, you say that your Raikage-sama has a message for our Hokage-sama." The female Jounin asked, in the tone of a statement.

"That's it exactly. I can't - 'won't' - tell you anything about Raikage-sama's message. It's only for the Hokage's ears." The girl answered, and the jounin's stare increased in intensity, if that was possible. Jiraiya mildly wondered if he wasn't about to melt from the sheer force of will he was feeling.

Maya's stubbornness was a problem, however. Although Jiraiya had never been the fastest mind in Konoha, he'd been raised with a man who knew everything about Konoha's inner workings. A messenger from another country couldn't simply walk up to the Second Hokage without some idea of what would be said. Or what it could contain at all. They would check it later on for validity. The white-haired boy knew that neither the ANBU nor the Jounins would trust simple silence.

"I understand that you can't trust me with this little. But it's extremely important that I see Konoha's Hokage. My message is that important." Maya said, her calm voice showing a sign of genuine urgency. Ayako only raised an eyebrow.

"I see. And where is the message? If I may ask." The Jounin asked smoothly. Ayako immediately produced a rolled parchment tied with a linen cord. Undoing the cord swiftly, she presented the paper.

"I can do more. You may open it. You'll understand what I mean." Was all the girl answered to the questioning glances, shrugging. Ayako's eyebrows rose, and she carefully took and unrolled the parchment, while Tsunade and Orochimaru both craned their neck to look. Ayako's face suddenly became grim. So much it gave Jiraiya a chill all over again.

"What is that drawing?" Orochimaru asked with interest.

"A Dragon Seal, Orochimaru. So, this message is that important." The black-haired jounin mused grimly, her eyes glaring at something Jiraiya couldn't see.

"Ah, Ayako-san! What's that Dragon Seal you're talking about. Jiraiya blurted. In answer, the adult flipped the page, showing it to the Genin. The white-haired Futema saw a strange, red drawing, in the middle of the page. It looked like the effigy of a dragon, curling in around a kanji that simply meant 'Kumo'. It was written in deep red.

"Was that..." Tsunade began to ask, hesitating.

"A Dragon Seal from Kumo. The Five Kages designed it jointly over sixty years ago, when the Five Great Hidden Villages had barely been formed. A dragon seal is written over whatever the message is, with a solution containing the Kage's own blood. The message can only be opened using two keys. One is a given word from the messenger; the other is a cancellation jutsu only known by the Kage. That way, the Kages kept the most important messages from falling in the wrong hands. If the Raikage did this..." Ayako sighed, looking at the still-composed Maya.

'Wow. Its pretty difficult to see that old man as our Second Hokage at times, he doesn't look that strong, and I don't get why everyone looks up to him like that sometimes. But it looks like he can do some cool stuff.' Jiraiya knew, deep down, that he was being unfair. The Second Hokage might be old, but they said age really didn't mean much if the shinobi was truly great. What was more important, to his eyes at least, was that the girl he'd saved was important to Konoha. It filled him with pride. 'Heh, try to beat that, snake!'

"I can't believe that you were the only one Kumo sent, especially if the message was that important." Ayako pondered.

"You're right. There were two others amongst other, fake messengers." Maya answered.

"And do you have any idea as to their fate?" The Jounin asked.

Maya opened her mouth to answer, but at that moment a knock was heard on the door. All looked at it while Tsunade opened, allowing a slightly grumpy Sarutobi to enter.

"I'm sorry I took so long. The ANBU finally arrived. As far as I'm concerned, they - well, hello there. And who would you be?" Sarutobi asked suddenly, stopping his mild rant to stare at the new girl before him. Ayako rose gracefully, clutching the scroll in her hand. Before Sarutobi could say anything, she put her hand on his shoulder.

"I need to talk to you, Sarutobi." she stated gently, but with a firm undertone. Looking from her to Maya and then settling on the Jounin once more, Jiraiya's sensei nodded. In moments, the two were off to another room, closing the door behind them. Tsunade looked at it with her customary glare.

"Just great. The big and mighty Jounins don't wanna talk around us Genins." the blonde humphed loudly. Orochimaru only shrugged.

"Not our place to say." he said mildly, with the arrogant, you-should-know-you-idiot edge to his voice. Tsunade glared at him, finding him a good target for her pent-up anger. Jiraiya grinned, and turned to Maya.

"The two here are...my teammates. The ugly albino's Orochimaru, while the tomboy is called Tsunade." Jiraiya explained, calmly ignoring Orochimaru's stare and Tsunade's furious look. Maya nodded, and rose to her feet.

"A pleasure to meet both of you. I am Kunicho Maya, from Kumo. I thank you for letting me stay here." she said, and bowed as she spoke. Even Orochimaru seemed baffled by the great politeness, while Tsunade, unable to be angry at the girl's actions, mumbled and cast about for a reply. Again, Jiraiya grinned, following it with a wry chuckle. He patted Maya on the shoulder firmly, causing her to look.

"Hey, don't worry about it! We're all Genins here, right? And Kumo and Konoha are on good terms right now. So don't start bowing to us, makes me feel bad!" The white-haired boy exclaimed. Tsunade nodded empathically, wincing as her head hadn't recovered from her injuries.

"Like that snowball said! Its great to meet you, right, Orochimaru?" The blonde asked, and the snake-looking boy nodded silently, while Jiraiya fumed.

"Bah with you, you tomboy! At least I look like a guy like I'm supposed to!" Jiraiya growled, and ducked as Tsunade threw a punch.

"Shut up!"

"Make me!"

"I suppose that being with you three will be interesting, if nothing else." Maya noted at length, making Orochimaru nod empathically.

Sarutobi looked at the scroll again, frowning. There was no doubt as to its authenticity. Not that he'd truly doubted Ayako knowledge, but her story had more than compelled him to make sure. He rubbed his temple with his right hand as he gazed at it with the other. He was feeling the beginnings of a headache.

"Well, the game as just be anted up, if you see what I mean. Only a Kage can do such a Seal." Sarutobi declared, licking is lower lip in concentration. Ayako responded from the bathroom she had gone to change in.

"Yes. A Kage for certain, I learned that much. But which Kage?" She answered. The short Jounin looked at the bathroom's door.

"You suspect the girl?" He asked.

"Wouldn't you? Scratch that, of course you would. Look, I'm not sure. It's all in the air, but I can't help but wonder. That girl was bound, gagged, stuffed in a sack, barely saved, fled to me. And she doesn't show any emotion. I know we Jounins, and most Chuunins can control ourselves like that, but a 'Genin'?" He could feel her shake her head in doubt. He nodded himself. It 'was' a rare thing. Even a Genin Hyuuga would have had some shock registering.

"It's rather unusual, true. But it hardly means that this is a trick. She may only be an astoundingly composed kid." He answered at length. Some noise and rummaging followed before he was answered.

"I know, Saru-kun, I know. Its just wild thinking. But can you verify if the seal is authentic? I heard each village had a distinct method. You probably learned enough from our dear Nidaime-sama to tell." Ayako answered.

The short but quite powerful Jounin frowned at what his lover implied. She all but meant that the Second had taught him tricks only a Kage should know. It bothered him to feel she knew she was right. 'Shrewd, shrewd. Beautiful, shrewd, and quite annoying at times.' It wasn't the first time she had thought ahead that way. 'What a woman, I swear.'

Sighing, Sarutobi put the scroll on the room's table, and quickly made a series of seals. Altered seals, done in a sequence no one but he and the Second knew of today. His hands glowed, and a stream of chakra was emitted from both hands. Sarutobi frowned as he felt the inherent workings of the seal.

"Well, if it's a forgery, it's a perfect one. It follows the unique Lightning seal guidelines. If it's a forgery, only Kenji-sensei would know it." There was a zipping sound from the bathroom. Knowing what it was, and what it meant, Sarutobi's face shadowed a moment.

"Then I suppose we'll have to trust the girl. Cautiously. Jiraiya seems quite taken with her." Came the answer. Sarutobi couldn't help but snort at that.

"Jiraiya's like I used to be in my youth. Even worse than that. I shiver to think what kind of man he'll become." Not that he thought the white-haired boy, or any of his students, would turn badly, but Jiraiya had a tendency to gawk at, spy on and peek at women unceasingly. 'When he actually starts to really understand what he's looking at...' Sarutobi closed his eyes and chuckled nervously. He had been like that. And a small part of him still was.

The door opened, and Ayako walked in. She was dressed in shinobi garb, including a flak vest. Her tones, however, were of blue-green for the vest and deep blue for the overalls. Instead of Konoha's emblem, she wore Kiri's - that of the Mist - one her headband. She looked smart and confident. Sarutobi knew that she was the best in what she did. And yet his heart could help but cringe in worry.

"You'll have to look after that girl for a while, I think. Just be careful with this. Okay, Saru-kun?" The kunoichi said.

'Worry!' I'm going to stroll back to the safest place a Leaf-nin can be, while you're going to go to the most dangerous one. And you're asking 'me' to watch out?' Sarutobi despaired of ever truly understanding how women thought in general, but he had long given up understanding parts of Ayako's logic.

"I'll be alright. You just make certain to come back in one piece." He choked at length. Ayako grinned, hands on her hips.

"Hey, hey! I'm not dead yet, Saru-kun! Don't think I won't come back to Konoha, you pessimist." She grinned as she said this, yet Sarutobi's worry only increased.

Reflexively, he took hold of her and brought her close, kissing her as he held her. After a moment, she kissed back gladly, then broke the embrace. She still grinned, but there was a sad note to it now. They only looked at each other for a long moment. In that time, Konoha, Kiri, the coming conflict and the strange Genin of Kumo all vanished.

"You better come back to me, you hear? If you take your sweet time, I'll come to personally give you a good smack." Sarutobi said, with an equally sad grin. Ayako's expression turned slightly mischievous.

"Well, that's something to look forward to, ain't it! Take care of those kids, Saru-kun. I'll be seeing you in Konoha soon." Ayako said. She brought her hands together, made a seal and, with a smoky poof, Sarutobi found himself alone.

'I don't get it. Its not the first time she went, or I went, on something dangerous. She can take care of herself better than most. So why am I feeling like this?' He couldn't answer his own question, and hoped it wasn't an omen of sorts.

Because he knew that, despite her annoying tendencies, no one could replace Ayako in his heart. 'If something happens...'

He shook his head and chased the very thought off, and concentrated on the situation at hand as best he could. Things weren't looking up. If the Raikage had seen fit to inform the Second of events with a Dragon Seal and a special messenger, then the Mist had probably begun to make dangerous advances already. Coupled to finding Mist-nins in such a close village such as this one, little doubt remained in Sarutobi's mind.

Things hadn't changed between the Leaf and the Mist for nearly fifty years, and clashes between the two were more frequent than with any other villages. The First Hokage, Konoha's legendary founder, had died in combat in the midst of a Lightning-Leaf war the Mist had actually instigated. As such, there was no love between the Lightning and the Mist, either.

"But that fact doesn't preclude a trap of some sort. Caution, Sarutobi, caution." He muttered. He rolled up the scroll, determined that it wouldn't leave him until it was in the Second's hands. Nor would he stop watching that Kumo girl - just in case. He gave one last, forlorn look at where Ayako had stood only a minute ago.

"You better come back when you're supposed to. Or I 'will' go smack you." he stated softly, opening the door to the room they had shared to rejoin his students. Despite everything, he felt that something wasn't right regarding Ayako. He couldn't shake it, anymore than he could shake off his feelings for her.

Sarutobi decided that there were times he didn't like being insightful after all.

Jiraiya didn't understand girls. Not really. Although he bragged that he knew more than any other male Genins about women, his peeking had left him with little insight save that the female form looked rather pleasing. The peeking, in itself, was more of a personal challenge than anything else. But all of that was superficial. What he was seeing developing was absolutely weird to his eyes.

Before they'd even left the yet-festive village, Maya and Tsunade had bonded. Now, as they once again neared Konoha's forests, they acted like they'd been friends for life. They whispered, gossiped, flaunted and - most annoying of all - seemed to find delight in egging Jiraiya on.

'Ge-ez! I saved that Maya from the Mist, and she's acting like that! It just...sucks!' Jiraiya thought, miffed. After their last taunt, he'd decided not to talk to them until they apologized. Unfortunately, Sarutobi had been acting very grim ever since Ayako had left. Jiraiya somewhat understood that she was important to the Jounin, and so didn't push more than he usually did.

However, this left him with having to pass the time walking beside and talking to person he liked the least in all Konoha village.

"Nice day for walking, ain't it?" Jiraiya asked the pale Genin next to him. Snake-like, yellow eyes flicked towards him a moment, then looked forward once more. Orochimaru then simply nodded. Jiraiya's sigh was exaggeratingly loud. The snake-like boy was proving himself even more annoying than the girls.

"Don't you think Sarutobi-sensei's been pretty stingy training-wise these days?" Jiraiya tried again, only to get another irritating nod. Exasperated, he switched subjects completely.

"Hey. You think the Mist is really gonna attack us? A real war?" The white-haired Genin lowered his voice even as he spoke. Orochimaru then stared at him. No mere flick, a real stare. And then nodded again. Jiraiya was about to throttle the other boy in annoyance, when Orochimaru unwittingly saved himself by finally replying.

"It does seem likely. What we've seen in that village there, its really worrisome. Especially since its this close to Konoha." Orochimaru said softly, also keeping his voice down, wincing a bit as one of his leg remained lightly injured.

An icy sliver, an echo of the fear Jiraiya'd felt when he'd daringly - and, he admitted, luckily - saved that Maya from those shinobis, crept up and down his back. He shivered. He'd acted before thinking, but he'd remembered their faces when he'd acted: cold, determined, and ruthless. That had been real danger. Nothing like being at the Academy.

"You and Tsunade got beaten. And I gotta admit I woulda gotten the same thing without those legs of mine. What are 'we' gonna do if there's a 'war'?!" The reckless youth's voice grew a bit, and he controlled it with difficulty. The most surprising thing was that Orochimaru's mask broke a moment, and Jiraiya beheld a lonely, indecisive boy. Then the mask returned, so fast he wondered if he hadn't imagined the whole thing himself.

"We'll fight, I suppose." Orochimaru answered as if it was the most natural thing in the world. 'No, that's not right here. He doesn't look like arrogant-silent-ass Orochimaru. He looks fake.' Jiraiya realized. Orochimaru was truly uncertain, an incredible feat.

"Don't kid me! We're Genins here! We're not trained superhumans like the Jounins, or even Chuunins! What would we do!" He let the last be spoken a bit louder. Before Orochimaru could formulate any answer, Sarutobi's voice sliced between them like a well-sharpened kunai.

"There are many uses. Genins can be messengers, reserve groups and such things. They can also be used in mixed groups, which sometimes happens. Some are used as decoys, especially when a weak groups may be sacrificed so that a stronger group may be taken out in exchange." Sarutobi stated grimly. Jiraiya heard disbelieving gasps, and realized one of them was his own.

"You're serious? The Second Hokage's okay with that?!?" He heard Tsunade exclaim in shock.

"No, but he can't control all the battle groups. Some of the more ruthless ones did this before. Shodai-sama and then Nidaime-sama punished those who were caught, but some are left unpunished. That's just one of the grim aspects of a war between Hidden Villages." Sarutobi stated calmly.

"I can tell. These shinobi weren't going to take me for a walk. They wanted to kill me." Maya said in a bleak voice.

"You'd be lucky if that was all they would do. I've seen worse." Sarutobi answered. The tone he used made Jiraiya's hair stand up. Behind the two boys, Tsunade seemed to compose herself."

"I-I'm not worried! If it comes to a war, we got the best Jounins and the best of the Kages! We can't lose!" Her tone lifted Jiraiya's sinking heart, and even made the sad-faced Sarutobi smile wryly.

"I wouldn't go that far, but, yes, its clear that Mizukage isn't Hokage-sama's equal at all. But he can't protect everyone. The Jounins and the elite ANBU can't protect everyone. That's why even Genins must be ready to fight their hardest. Still, we have some time."

Konoha was coming into view. Jiraiya couldn't believe he'd missed the place that much. He missed Konoha's forest, his neighbourhood and, most of all, his parents. 'Maybe its the fear I felt back then, but I really want to see mom and dad right now.' He then noticed that Orochimaru was looking at Konoha as well, with an expression very similar to longing.

"Oi, Orochimaru!" Jiraiya exclaimed, and was rewarded to see Orochimaru jump, however lightly he did. He relished that moment, and then grinned.

"Let's eat together, okay? I'll talk dad into it!" The white-haired boy said, surprising himself as much as he did the pale Genin. Orochimaru stared. Tsunade gasped. Sarutobi gave a sidelong stare. Maya said nothing, probably still clueless. Eventually, Orochimaru regained his arrogant face, but nodded.

"Alright. I don't mind." Orochimaru said. He didn't thank Jiraiya, something both teammates and sensei had expected. Yet, Sarutobi seemed to throw off some of his funk at the sight.

"Maybe you'll make a real team yet, kids." Jiraiya heard his sensei say as they walked to Konoha's gates.

Jiraiya didn't have to wait long to see a familiar sight. His father's tall frame was leaning against one of the gate's pillars, chatting with a younger Chuunin guard. As soon as the group came within sight, Mudoya straightened and waved, walking towards them. It was all Jiraiya could do to prevent himself from rushing into his father's embrace.

"Well, well, well! I heard from the ANBU you'd arrive about now, Sarutobi! So, has my little rascal done well enough for his first C-Rank?" Mudoya asked. Sarutobi returned the tall man's grin. Jiraiya had often seen that few could help but find his father nice, and act accordingly.

"He's still in the rough. And reckless. And thoroughly impatient. Frankly, I'm surprised he's still in one piece." Sarutobi retorted, ignoring Jiraiya's dismay and mounting objections on the boy's face. Mudoya, far from defending his son, only laughed slightly. Jiraiya's face got red, and he lunged forward.

"Dad! I did my best I really did! I-" he began frantically, only to have his irate rant cut short by a hand patting his head. He looked up to see Sarutobi grinning slightly, and got red all over again. Behind him, Tsunade and Maya both snickered. 'Great! Talk about caught!' He thought.

"Just kidding, Jiraiya, kidding. You need to learn to read people, kid. We'll work on that. He is reckless, Mudoya, but he did alright. Even saved one's life." Sarutobi stated. Mudoya raised his eyebrows as Jiraiya beamed. As if on cue, Maya came forward and bowed before the white-haired Chuunin.

"My name is Kunichi Maya, a Genin from Kumo. I owe Jiraiya my life, Mudoya-san. I am pleased to meet you." She said, coldly but softly. Mudoya gave her a long look, then nodded, and gave Jiraiya a proud look that elevated the boy's heart to the sky. Suddenly, fighting the Mist didn't seem that frightening.

"Well, I'm really glad to hear that! Good job, son. Why don't we go in now, so we can talk of your group's adventures." Jiraiya's father said with a wink.

Passing the gates was done quickly. Although the guard stared at Maya a moment, Sarutobi's vouching for her was more than enough. They entered the city everyone but the Kumo girl knew intimately.

"Hokage-sama said that the gates will be closed during daylight in three days." Mudoya said, and Jiraiya detected a hard edge under the gentle voice. Sarutobi nodded, obviously not surprised by the comment.

"I rather expected it. So the Mist has been seen in other villages besides ours?" The Jounin questioned as they walked amongst familiar streets. Jiraiya saw Tsunade stiffen, and walked to her.

"What's up, tomboy?" He asked. Instead of a hit, Tsunade gave him no attention. Jiraiya looked around as well. 'There's nothing special here. Peddlers, workers, and the occasional shinobi-' he thought, thinking better of it when he realized there were more than the occasional shinobi. Rather, they walked by frequently, alert, in full battle dress. Jiraiya had never seen Konoha in such a state before to his knowledge. Orochimaru and Maya also looked around. The two men seemed unconcerned. 'They've seen something like this before in Konoha.' he realized.

"Nidaime-sama has also decided to set up teams to 'clean' those towns with Mist in them." Mudoya said.

"I'd like to say 'count me in'. However-"

"Don't worry about it, Sarutobi. You should go see Hokage-sama, however. He asked you to come see him as soon as you arrived." The tall Chuunin said, shrugging slightly to show that he didn't know more than that. Sarutobi seemed to consider things, then looked at Maya intently.

"Its just as well, because I have some interesting news for him. Maya, you're with me, alright?" Sarutobi asked, but it wasn't so much a question as a demand. She nodded, then gave the Mudoya, Jiraiya and the others a short, calm farewell. Sarutobi left, asking Mudoya to please take care of the three for a little while.

Jiraiya was sorry to see Maya go, but it was a small regret compared to the feeling of being home. Father and son looked at each other for a while, then Mudoya ruffled his hair gently, before going on to talk to all three of them.

"Dad, what do you think that ol' Nidaime will do?" The boy asked. His father gave them all a long look, then sighed.

"He'll do the best that he can. And he'll make sure the war costs as little as possible. We can count on him, and we have, for well over twenty-five years. We all have faith in Hokage-Sama. But let's stop talking about things like that for now! You three are home, and that's great! Lets go eat!" The tall Chuunin exclaimed, losing his serious face.

"Dad...can they come eat to?" Jiraiya asked. He didn't know why, but it felt important that Orochimaru and Tsunade both participated now, and included the tomboyish girl as well.

"Why not?" Mudoya nodded.

"B-but Mudoya-san, I can't, my parents-" Tsunade protested only to be cut short by Mudoya's raised index.

"Don't worry about your parents. I'll make sure they know. Now lets go! It's been kinda silent in the house without kids around. This'll be great!" the man chuckled, herding them all along. Only Jiraiya, knowing his mother, wondered if his father wouldn't hear something about that later on.

For some reason, this thought produced the first staying smile in quite a while.

The Present...

Jiraiya stared at the piled bowls in disbelief. Kyuubi influence or not, that kid was inhuman.

"You must have eaten more than ten bowl!" Jiraiya stammered as Naruto rubbed his belly.

"Fifteen. And remember, Perverted Hermit - tonight's your treat!" The blonde Genin answered triumphantly. His eyes danced even more when a reluctant Jiraiya read the bill and, with a curse, reached into his wallet. 'Darn kid. This is revenge for the time I took all of his money, eh?' The only reason he paid anyway was because of a small, annoying voice, which told him that he was actually quite a bit at fault for that. Paying, he vowed never to return eat ramen for the next decade, while knowing Naruto would convince him inside a week. Leaving the restaurant, the two walked out and down the street, both silent.

"Perverted Hermit?" Naruto's wistful voice interrupted Jiraiya's thoughts about Tsunade, Konoha, and peeking spots.

"Yes?"

"I've never had anyone tell me a story like that. Thank you."

"...You're welcome, Naruto. Always."

PS: I don't usually do this, but I figure I'd ask. See, I can write well enough, but I really suck at seeing my own mistakes. If anyone could proofread my chapters, I'd be very grateful. Just asking. Thanks for listening in.


	9. Chapter Nine

_Absolutely out of the question! No, no and no! There is no way, no way that something so ridiculous will happen!_

-First Hokage, refusing to see his facial statue carved into Mt. Hokage.

_You two have a problem. As Genin, you will learn to deal with that problem amiably. Make your rivalry a game instead of a perpetual fight. _

_ Otherwise, next time I see something like this, it'll be me against the both of you. Got that?_

- Fourth Hokage, to Gai and Kakashi.

Future Legends

Chapter Nine

Kabuto knew better than to talk to Orochimaru as he helped the leader of the Hidden Village of Sound dress. Nor did he offer any kind of support or commiseration when the pale man grunted or winced involuntarily. Orochimaru despised weakness, moreso his own. And those who had been foolish enough to remind him of that in any way had never reminded anyone of anything else.

But, even if Kabuto had, Orochimaru might not have killed him. Not because the young man was irreplaceable - a debatable point - but because his mind was now focused on one goal: meeting Tsunade. As far as he knew, she was the only one with the sheer level of medical skill to heal an actual soul. He would have her heal him. 'By negociating, if possible. And if that doesn't prove possible...' He would cross that bridge when he came to it. He secretly hoped he wouldn't have to. Tsunade was strong. In full health that wouldn't worry him much, but with his arms like this...

"Curse you, Sarutobi. To weaken me like this...you damned geezer." he hissed.

"I'm sorry, Orochimaru-sama?" Kabuto said, stepping back. His tone was perfectly humble, yet the snake-like man detected the arrogance right underneath the surface. Kabuto was a tool. A very good one, to be handled with care. He hoped the arrogance wouldn't show too often. He wouldn't like to kill the boy.

"Nothing. We'll depart immediately." The pale man stated curtly.

"As you wish, Orochimaru-Sama." Again, perfectly polite, with steel underneath.

They quietly walked though the Sound Village. In order to keep the location secret until his Village had been truly formed, most of it had been built underground. Homes, shops and training grounds had been carved out of the earth and rock with Earth and Fire and Sound jutsus. For the last two years, buildings had begun to be built on ground level, but the heart of the Hidden Sound and its shinobis remained beneath the surface.

The number of Jounins and Chuunins had decreased these days, however. Although the Sound-Sand allied attack had defeated a large part of Konoha's best, the Hidden Leaf had defended itself more than anyone had anticipated. He had underestimated them in the first battle. He would not make the same mistake again.

Shinobis, seeing Orochimaru, hurried to get out of his path, and bowed low as he passed. He never spared them a glance. He and the grey-haired boy walked through the relatively calm subterranean halls, until they walked up the main entrance to the Hidden Village. So well hidden was it that no Leaf or Sand investigations in the area had ever come close to finding it. It was only when he and Kabuto had gone some way that the Sound Jounin spoke again.

"I have heard that Uchiha Itachi has been seen near Konoha." Kabuto stated calmly as he walked a few paces behind his master.

"Indeed? Odd. But, then again, Itachi was always an odd one." Orochimaru mused. 'And a frightening one.' he reflected, but kept that to himself.

"He also came to Konoha itself, and caused something there. His target, however, was not Sasuke as might be expected, but rather Uzumaki Naruto." The Jounin reported.

For a moment, the name meant nothing to Orochimaru. Then he remembered. During the Chuunin Exam, a loud boy had fought the Hyuuga prodigy with far more strength and skill than anyone had expected. Then, that blonde boy had unleashed a large amount of chakra that was anything but human. The same boy had shown unnatural resilience in the forest, so much that he'd sealed the power away. 'Yes, Uzumaki Naruto. I remember. He might become a problem in the long run.'

"Interesting. The Nine-Tails' host. Itachi wanted him? It's surprising that he failed." Orochimaru noted. Itachi had never failed a mission for Akastuki.

"That's due to the fact that it seems that the other male Sannin had been on hand to check Itachi's attempt.

"Jiraiya? Well, well. That toad-loving fool is still fooling around for hopeless causes, I see." The leader of the Sound smirked. Kabuto nodded before continuing his report. 'Jiraiya. What are you up to?'

"There is an aspect that I find hard to believe. It seems that your former comrade was delayed; by a genjutsu Itachi had cast over a woman. This is second-hand information from a spy who happened to be there, however, so I can't say-" Kabuto would have said more, but stopped as Orochimaru chuckled.

There was venom and bitterness in the chuckling sound, but a good deal of amusement. 'Jiraiya, you old, useless fool. You never change. Always women. Ever since then, you never stopped.' Tsunade and Jiraiya...both of them. Fools. Each was far more powerful than all but a handful of shinobis.

And yet instead of using the power, they squandered it. Tsunade spoiled it by focusing on gambling. And Jiraiya had always squandered his gifts for one-night stands, flirting and much peeking. Always. 'No, that's not quite right.' he reminded himself, focusing on that to keep the pain in his arms from bothering him.

"Jiraiya was always one to chase after women before almost anything else. As long as I've known him, he was like that. But the worst bit I remember was a girl back then....Maya, that was it, Maya. Jiraiya rescued her - something I never entirely believed - and she travelled with us. Just before the Cold Mist War. Yes, she came right when the winds of war had stilled, right before the hurricane began."

The pain in his arms flared, and the Orochimaru bit back a scream. Later, in the night, he would scream. At that moment, the pain was unbearable. But as for right now, he forced it back with a grim smile. Kabuto didn't seem to notice, which was a flat-out lie. The youth, the snake-like man had learned, saw everything.

"I have heard of the Cold Mist War. At the Academy, and in many other documents." Kabuto stated with mild interest. Orochimaru nodded at the statement, unsurprised by it.

"You should have. The Cold Mist War was probably one of the fiercest conflicts there ever was between the Leaf and the Mist. It actually spread to the Countries themselves, and it became necessary for other countries to enter the war to prevent things from escalating. The world came one step from new Ninja World Wars." Orochimaru reflected. Frightening at it had been in his youth, Orochimaru was grateful for that conflict.

After all, it had made some things come faster.

"There is one point which was never made clear, however, Orochimaru-sama. The battles, the tactics and the repercussions are well documented. But I was never told how it truly began." The grey-haired young man wondered.

Orochimaru considered that. He had no real interest in answering. But, in some way, he savoured the fact that the youth was ignorant of things he took for granted. That knowledge, as petty as it sounded even to him, made Orochimaru smirk almost agreeably.

"Small, Kabuto. It began as a small thing."

_38 years earlier..._

Orochimaru walked down the street, feeling in a lighter mood than usual. In his hands was a brand new book, bought with his own money saved from his D-Rank missions. Although the pale Genin had used the money for the C-Rank in buying himself better clothes and other necessities, he had always wanted to waste a bit of money in something that would be his. Not to wear or to eat. Simply something which would be truly 'his' since the beginning.

The book itself - World Geography - was something he'd bought on a whim. He was only mildly interested in it by itself. The act was what had meaning. The rest, as far as Orochimaru was concerned, was superfluous.

As he passed, he noticed the usual gazes the villagers treated him to. Revulsion on some faces, outright hostility in a few, but most simply had a face showing faint distaste. Or fear. Young children scrambled out of his way, and adults gave him a wide berth. It was nothing new. Ever since he could remember, things had been that way. Because of what he looked like.

He knew he wasn't a normal boy. He had strange eyes, a skin nearly as white as chalk, and - mostly - a tongue far longer than normal. His own appearance had made him cry more than once, often after a larger boy had found it right to trash him for the 'crime' of looking different. It had been the realization that this might never change which had pushed him to take the test to enter the academy, and struggle through instruction.

But, of course, he had succeeded. Orochimaru had always known his mind was sharper than the average. But the poverty in which he lived most of his life had left a yearning for better things. As far as he was concerned, that book was a sign that things 'were' better. So caught up that image he was that he never noticed someone was talking to him until the voice grew louder.

"Hey, boy! Are you falling asleep? We've been calling you." A kind voice sounded. Orochimaru looked a bit down the street to notice Sarutobi and Mudoya standing there, looking at him. He immediately bowed as he neared them.

"Sarutobi-sensei, Mudoya-san, good morning." he said politely. Politeness and proper deference was important, Orochimaru had decided. That was the way the weak should be with the strong. That was the way life was. After all, wasn't Konoha the richest Hidden Village because it had the strongest Bloodlines and Jounins?

Aside from that fact, the boy felt good in the company of the two older men - something he rarely felt with adults of the village. Sarutobi was his teacher, and praised his progress. And Mudoya praised his ideas, no matter how he looked like. It made the amber of resentment he had towards Konoha's citizens lessen instead of fanning it.

"You don't have to be so proper, Orochimaru. We aren't at training, after all." Sarutobi said with a forced grin. Most of the grins and smiles had been less sincere since Ayako-san had gone off to the Mist. It was an obsession, which Orochimaru didn't quite understand, but found himself repulsed by. 'Because if being with a woman weakens a powerful Jounin like Sarutobi-sensei, it'd be disaster at my stage!' That was why he believed Jiraiya trying to get Maya's attention was the work of a fool.

"Ah, but Sarutobi-sensei-" he stopped as Mudoya clapped a hand on his shoulder, laughing.

"Hahah! Drop it, Sarutobi! That kid's way is to be polite, just like my son's way is to be loud about things. Can't fight it." The white-haired man said.

"I suppose not. Well, there are worse habits to have." The Jounin replied.

"Ah, Sarutobi-sensei. Did you...see Hokage-sama?" Orochimaru asked suddenly. Both men seemed to lose a bit of their light mood. The brown-haired man seemed to consider what to say, scratching his goatee thoughtfully. The Genin cursed himself for asking - of course it wasn't a mere Genin's business to know what the Second had said. 'But I'd really like to know, all the same!' his mind told him, and he couldn't refute that.

"Well, what Hokage-sama told me and other Jounins isn't to be told lightly, as you well know." Sarutobi said.

Orochimaru nodded, trying to keep a calm face and not show how glum he suddenly felt. Then Sarutobi spoke again.

"I can tell you some things, however. Hokage-sama unsealed the message and read it. I can't tell you any details, but since you were involved a bit, I can tell you some decisions were taken in council with the Jounins and the highest-ranked Chuunins." Sarutobi seemed a bit upset about that, while Mudoya's lips curled down.

"Damn Kai, anyway." Was the only mutter Orochimaru heard, and the only rough thing he ever heard from Mudoya's mouth. It unsettled him more than even Sarutobi's thoughtful look. His keen mind made a quick, logical connection. 'Whatever the decision was, they didn't agree with it. But they were outvoted. And if they're like that, it means it was about we Genins.' He wasn't certain what he felt about that. Elated? Terrorized? Probably both.

"Well, well, its not done yet. And this is a great day. We shouldn't waste it like that!" Mudoya said quickly.

"Right! Quite right!" Sarutobi agreed just as quickly. Orochimaru saw that they both faked their good mood now. Knowing that he had probably exhausted his line of questioning on the Mist, Orochimaru decided to question about the second element that interested him.

"What about training? We've been training on our own for a week now!" 'And Jiraiya's driving Tsunade crazy with his 'obvious' passes at Maya.' he finished for himself. That the Kumo Genin was actually letting him was driving Tsunade up the wall. Whatever he'd said, however, hit the right cord, for Sarutobi's smile became more genuine.

"I talked to the Second. He was my sensei, back in my time as a Genin. And he reminded me of something he did with my team." Sarutobi chuckled, followed by Mudoya. Orochimaru grew slightly worried.

It was then that the book he was holding in his left hand was noticed. Gently, Mudoya took it and examined it.

"Oh, 'World Geography'. Pretty deep for a twelve year old. Well, I'll keep it for you until your training is over. Don't give me that look, I'm not going to eat the book! I know it must be precious to you, since its brand new. Just trust me on this. Well, Sarutobi, Orochimaru, I'll leave you to your edifying training." Mudoya said, and before Orochimaru could interject, he walked off into the crowd - which didn't seem to give that many cold looks with Sarutobi present.

"Let's go." Sarutobi said with a grin, and he touched something in his pocket. Orochimaru wondered what the test was as he was forced to either follow the rapidly moving man or be left standing there.

'It sounded like bells. What kind of training is done with bells?" he wondered mildly as he walked.

_The present..._

"Bells training? I never had that sort of test." Kabuto mused. Orochimaru smirked in response.

"A crude way to do things, but it bore fruit in its own way." The fallen Sannin muttered as he reminisced of old times. A time when power wasn't so important and he still had people he had a weakness for.

_38 years earlier..._

Sarutobi could only look in slight disgust as Jiraiya fell into the lake with a loud splash. He had used a genjutsu to make the boy believe that the bell he was seeing was hanging from a pole planted deep in the ground. A good ninja would have wondered at the easy access, and might have gingerly approached, testing the grounds and looking for traps. All the while preparing himself to leap away at the slightest trouble.

Not so Jiraiya. Sarutobi doubted the boy - whom he knew wasn't stupid, despite his attitude - had even stopped to think about possible traps. He's charged headlong, had slipped at the real border of the lake and slipped in. 'I read that Jiraiya always had difficulty in detecting genjutsu. I'll have to make him work on that. But still, a shinobi shouldn't believe what his eyes see so blindly.' He thought.

His senses alerted him, and he dodged aside of the shurikens that whizzed from one side. He stepped aside, and as he was about to land he saw the explosive note on the ground, and shifted in midair barely. His sudden movement, however, unbalanced him for an instant. As he flashed in remembrance, his hand lashed out and caught a slender, pale hand as Orochimaru reached to grab one of the bells.

The boy, however, didn't stay put. A shot from the other hand forced Sarutobi to release the hand, and Orochimaru nearly flew backward, backflipping into the woods, dodging the three kunai the Jounin had sent his way.

'Not bad at all. You're improving, Orochimaru.' Sarutobi congratulated. Of the three, the pale boy had almost taken a bell four times already, while Tsunade had come close one and Jiraiya never had. All three were making a true effort to pass the little test, he was sure, but the black-haired Genin showed a greater level of skill than the others. Indeed, a greater level of skill than any Genin he'd met ever since his own times, when he trained under the Second.

''Come at me like you want to kill me!', I said. Seems like Orochimaru took that quite seriously.' The goateed man thought, looking at the explosive note. He then saw Jiraiya dragging himself out of the lake.

"Be more observant, Jiraiya." He noted.

All the boy did was grunt unhappily, then throw a smoke bomb to the ground. By the time it cleared, he was no longer present, of course. Sarutobi grinned as the game began again in earnest. He wondered if the Second had had this much fun doing it all those years ago, when Sarutobi himself had been nothing more than a green Genin. 'Probably.' he reflected.

It was the Second's advice that had convinced him to do this activity. he had taken part in many reunions between the Council and the Jounins over the past week, deciding upon a course of action about the Mist. He had listened and given his opinion, but his heart hadn't been there. Although it bothered him to no end, for some reason he kept worrying about Ayako, far more than he ever had before, even though he knew how skilled she was.

It hadn't escaped his former teammates' notice, or his former sensei's. Thus, the Second had suggested the activity to help him enjoy himself for a little while. Strangely, it seemed to be working. Then something pushed him into the defensive as he heard a sentence from the trees.

"Katon! Goukakyuu no Jutsu!" Came a clear female voice, and a burst of flame flared from the trees towards him. With barely a thought, he used Kawarimi no Jutsu to switch his body with a piece of wood, while streaking into the wood. He caught a glimpse of Tsunade as she leap off from a branch into thicker trees. 'Good try. Not as good as Orochimaru's, but its a good effort.'

He returned to the clearing to hear a loud yell. He sighed, catching Jiraiya's foot, swinging the boy out and launching him into the woods. 'He yelled a warcry. He really needs work still.' the Jounin reflected wryly.

He didn't believe the boy held no potential. He thought that all three would become great, with Orochimaru the greatest. Mostly, however, he knew Jiraiya's parents, and couldn't believe a no-talent child from such a strong, if affable, man and such a strong-willed woman. But the boy had a long way to go if he wanted to truly develop enough.

Sighing, he turned around - and nearly took a kunai straight in the face.

Lightning reflexes honed through training and battlefields made him dodge at just the right time, and Sarutobi felt the blade whiz past his left ear just as he moved his head right. A simple move, easily dodged for one of Sarutobi's skills, but that he had felt nothing beforehand was noteworthy. He saw Orochimaru in front of him, making seals. Immediately two other copies came into being on each side, And began to run around him.

'Bunshin no Jutsu. He's running around to get the bell, hoping that having three of them in my eyesight is going to confuse me. But its not going to work. I've never lost sight of the real Orochimaru. That ruse won't work on me, kid.' Sarutobi said as he kept still.

The three suddenly came at him from three different directions. He ignored the other two and concentrated one the original. He thrust forward and struck with his hand. Orochimaru grimaced in pain...then disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Sarutobi's eyes widened, and he whirled to face the other two copies. 'He fooled my senses that much? Impossible at that level!'

He struck one of the Orochimarus in the belly, and caught the other one with a quick uppercut. Both of them flew away from him. And both disappeared into a cloud of smoke. Sarutobi, for a moment, simply couldn't believe his eyes. And then the moment of disbelief was followed by one of realization, and he turned to meet the figure, which came at him.

Quickly, he swept his foot, destabilizing the young Genin, and followed it with a sharp knee shot, pushing the pale boy away. This time, there was no smoke.

"Very good, Orochimaru. But you can't win a battle with that sort of trick." The Jounin mused, although he was vastly pleased at his student. The tactic was clear now. Orochimaru had never been in front of him. The boy had made a copy when he'd still been occupied with Jiraiya, had shot the kunai while leaving the copy in sight, and had gone off. Then, he had made two others while making his original copy make the hand seals. 'Astounding grasp of control and tactics for a Genin.' Orochimaru himself, however, showed only the barest of smile.

"But defeating you wasn't the goal. I know I can't defeat you, sensei. But I fulfilled my objective." The pale Genin said, serpentine eyes twinkling. He showed his hand and opened it.

A bell was nestled in the palm. Sarutobi looked down and saw that, indeed, one of them had been cut. 'He fooled me. Darn kid. He actually managed it.' He reflected, but he felt no sourness about it. It was all part of the exercise, after all.

An exercise that Orochimaru had passed within two hours, something few Genins had ever done. 'Well, well. I can see he's not a prodigy for nothing.' he rejoiced, his pleasure making him forget, for a moment, about his worry for Ayako.

_The present..._

__

Despite the fact that the grey-haired kid hid it as best as he could, Orochimaru could feel that the boy was quite interested in the story. 'For all his intellect and power, he's still bound by trivial things.' The snake-like man mused inwardly, blocking the pain in his arms.

"It was a nice piece of work, I must say." The former Leaf told the far younger man. An acknowledging nod was what he received.

"Quite right. However, about the war..."

"We will come upon that soon."

_38 years earlier..._

A bell jingled in front of the sullen, captive Jiraiya. Orochimaru almost thought Tsunade would burst from laughter when the white-haired boy was tied. The snake-like boy almost had laughed himself, only containing himself with great effort. The blonde, however, couldn't seemingly resist taunting the losing member of the team.

"See, Jiraiya? I won the bet. You got tied to the log." Tsunade said sneakily. Orochimaru didn't quite know what the bet was about; only that Tsunade had probably bullied Jiraiya into it. Whatever how it happened, it made the other boy angry.

Sarutobi, standing by Orochimaru's side, let out a small, despairing sigh.

"Shut up! You..you no-breast tomboy Tsunade!" Jiraiya growled angrily.

The effect was immediate. Although their sensei had worked hard to have Tsunade curb her temper, it was always there, near the surface. It needed only a little push, and the volcano erupted readily. And everyone knew that Tsunade had a personal problem with her slowly developing figure. Her playful eyes suddenly flared, and she grabbed the tied-up Jiraiya and began to shake him angrily.

Sarutobi sighed again. 'Rueful, this time.' Orochimaru observed. Tsunade and Jiraiya's verbal spars were rather frequent.

"What the hell was that? You damn, perverted egghead!" She shrieked, shaking him harder. Jiraiya only glared back the two growled at each other until, unable to do anything else, Jiraiya started kicking Tsunade's leg. The girl responded with the same, and the sensei and remaining student looked as the hits went ever harder. Before one of them went crazy - probably Tsunade - or broke a leg - Jiraiya - Sarutobi intervened, softly massaging his forehead.

"Okay, okay. Cut it out you two. Training's done for today. It's getting late. Orochimaru, Tsunade, you can go home.

Orochimaru looked up at the sky in surprise and saw that it was true. The sun was beginning to go down a bit. Evening was fast coming, and it felt like it was only a little while since the training game had begun. He looked at the bell he still clutched in his hand and smiled in pride. He had barely managed it. But he'd succeeded nonetheless, before anyone else. It was a personal accomplishment, which made the pale Genin confident of his own abilities.

Tsunade loudly agreed with Sarutobi, and Orochimaru only nodded his head. Before leaving, Tsunade showed the bell, stuck out her tongue almost spitefully, and then left. Orochimaru gave the even more sullen Jiraiya a look. Unable to contain himself, he let out a slight chuckle before turning away from the pair remaining near the logs.

It was a good day.

A 'very' good day.

"Think he's gonna chew him out?" Tsunade asked with a wink. Orochimaru had no difficulty in knowing what she was talking about.

"Probably not the way you'd find amusing, but probably. Sarutobi is strict." The pale boy mused. He couldn't help but let a smile play on his lips. And it wasn't all about the prospect of Jiraiya being chewed out, either. The blonde girl looked at him in mild surprise. Her mood, always active and rather violent, for good or ill, lashed on to him.

"You're in a good mood, aren't you, snake?" She said in the friendliest manner the argumentative, sensitive and often-angry girl could muster.

He wondered about that. Yes, he realized, he was in a very good mood. Sarutobi had praised him a lot in the past on how quickly he caught on to things, and he'd praised him even more today. Orochimaru admitted that he liked that. When a very strong Jounin noticed a Genin, it was surely because that Genin was stronger than the rest. 'Yes, of course that's the reason!' he told himself firmly.

Still, he'd rarely felt like that. He felt like he could jump around giddily, and only his pride prevented him from doing so. A person appeared on the path that gave him another reason he shouldn't make a fool of himself. Maya, the Genin of Kumo, was coming up the path, her calm and cold face as pretty and distant as ever.

Orochimaru didn't how he felt about that girl from another Hidden Village. He liked the way she could take her distances, but there was something about her that he didn't quite like. Tsunade and Jiraiya had accepted her easily enough - Jiraiya was especially vocal about it - but the pale boy had known too many things, seen to many backstabs in his short life as an orphan to trust that easily. Others might see it as a fault, but Orochimaru regarded that trait of his as an asset.

Tsunade, in a good mood herself - without the anger that had been present when Jiraiya had insulted her and she had insulted back - waved to her.

"Hey, Maya! What's up?" she asked cheerfully. The cold-eyed but - Orochimaru had to admit - rather pretty girl looked at the two for a moment, then bowed her head slightly in acknowledgement."

"Orochimaru, Tsunade. Its good to see you. Isn't Jiraiya with you? I don't see him." The Kumo girl inquired, somewhat pensive. Orochimaru tried to discern any true feelings from her, but grudgingly gave up. 'That girl's a wall. I can't read anything off her.' Orochimaru realized. He didn't like it - after all, he was very good at reading even the most closed-off people. Tsunade, if she'd noticed anything, gave no sign, grinning mischievously.

"He's back at the lake training area, near the memorial monument. Sarutobi-sensei's scolding him because he messed the last exercise up." The blonde said triumphantly, with just enough venom to make Orochimaru think that, no, her temper hadn't been quailed. Only subdued for now. The rage was there. It had no discernable effect on the other girl.

"Is that so? That's unfortunate. Still, this is a good opportunity." Maya mused.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! A good opportunity for what?" Tsunade queried. Orochimaru had already reached a conclusion, and the answer was roughly what he'd thought.

"I need to thank Jiraiya properly. He did, after all, save my life. I feel that I owe him a certain debt." The dark-haired girl mused with just a hint of a smile. She then promptly thanked them both, bowed her head, and left a spluttering, stammering Tsunade looking after her. The pale Genin sighed, although he felt rather amused in his heart of hearts.

"I know that you don't like it, Tsunade. But the fact is that he saved her life. Not us. Makes perfect sense for her to act that way." Orochimaru said. Tsunade glared, looking for a pertinent reply to give him, obviously finding none.

"Well, she doesn't have to be all blunt about it! And I was having so much fun, too!" The tomboy pouted. Orochimaru then did one thing he had never done, he had never thought he would do, knowing that doing something like this was suicidal. He regretted it even as the sounds began to be uttered.

With a good mood boiling, Orochimaru laughed at Tsunade's face.

'She didn't have to hit me 'that' hard.' Orochimaru reflected as he walked through the village, ignoring everything except his swollen left cheek. Tsunade had reacted the way he'd thought she would when he'd laughed like he did: by punching him as hard as she could. Predictable but, in this case, not the type of prevision he was very fond of. Although he usually felt superior to his teammates in overall shinobi ability, Tsunade's strength was something to be feared.

He vowed never to get in an all-out fight with her if he could in any way help it.

Walking through one of Konoha's main streets, Orochimaru sullenly looked at the different shops and eating-places. As the evening began to lengthen, fatigued civilians or shinobis who just wanted a warm meal was crowding these places and a good drink and didn't want - or have - the energy to make a meal for themselves.

'I wonder if I should go get my book from Mudoya-san right now?' The pale Genin wondered. Despite the fact that he found the younger Futema annoying, crude, and sometimes downright idiotic, he felt good when talking to the older one. And Jiraiya's mother was strong-willed. Orochimaru had heard that she had recovered from a terrible injury, which should have killed her.

How Jiraiya had been born from two interesting people like those two was a mystery Orochimaru rarely bothered with.

Orochimaru was rounding a corner when it happened. One moment, everything was calm. The next, part of the building - it was some sort of inn, from what Orochimaru had read numerous times - exploded in a burst of pressured water. People screamed and scattered away from the debris, and the pale boy was knocked off-balance. A person jumped down, eyes fixed and slightly wild, and began moving off.

A kunai streaked into the man's tight, Surprised, the man gasped, clutched the hilt imbedded on his side, and growled in pain. The wound was shallow, nut it had momentarily stopped him.

He didn't have time to do anything else before three figures jumped down and landed around him, already positioned to attack. He recognized them. Dressed in black with grey body armour, all of the three wore a mask depicting an animal. It was the first time that Orochimaru, struggling to his feet, had seen them so close. 'Anbu. Those are Anbu.' his mind told him unnecessarily.

The Anbu, Konoha's elite hunters and secret police, were formed from some of the best Chuunins and Jounins in the village. They were mysterious, only seen from afar, and answered only to the Second Hokage and, to a lesser extent, to the Village Council. They were reputed to be an almost undefeated group, especially the Leaf Anbu.

"Feisty aren't you. Don't make this harder on yourself. We can't let you leave this village. Surrender quietly and we'll treat you okay." A voice boomed from behind a wolf-depicting mask.

As the people gave the battle a wide berth, those shinobis who'd been eating or talking nearby actually approached. Orochimaru noted that a few were Jounins. Whatever the increasingly desperate man tried, he wouldn't be able to fight back against all of the strength quickly gathering around him.

"The Mist have no business in Konoha. Surrender." The wolf-masked man added.

'A Mist-nin? How did one of the Mist get inside the village so easily?!" Orochimaru thought as he was captivated by the standoff. The caught shinobi, either fearless or too afraid to care anymore, didn't show any sign of surrendering. He actually spat on the ground.

"If you think that I'm going to let you Leafs take me easily, you gotta surprise coming! We don't surrender in the Mist!" he growled. Neither Anbu nor ordinary shinobi seemed very impressed by the statement.

"Indeed, so you don't. But it'll be much less painful if you just surrender. You can't fight us. The technique you just used has sapped a good part of you chakra." The wolf Anbu noted, calm as a piece of stone. The calm sentence only seemed to anger the Mist shinobi further. He grabbed a Kunai in each hand and crouched slightly. His shoulders shook a bit as he did, however. Orochimaru gauged that the shinobi was severely weakened in some way.

"Don't screw with me, you damned Leaf!" he growled, and charged. Orochimaru expected all the surrounding shonobi to act, but all stood still as the ragged man charged the wolf-masked Anbu. The Leaf stood ready to meet the charge.

Before the first blow could be struck, however, the Anbu suddenly shifted places. Orochimaru's eyes widened. One moment, the masked man had been about to receive a charge. The next, he'd appeared to deliver a resounding blow to the Mist's abdomen. The Mist gasped, attempted to recover, but found himself ploughed in by the Anbu's fists. The wolf mask moved with blinding speed as he delivered combo after combo, eventually jumping and kicking the man in the face, forcing him backward.

The Mist's face was bloody, his breath came short, but he wasn't out. Orochimaru wondered if he'd have that resilience when he'd be a Jounin. 'I'll be stronger than that.' he assured himself. 'And I won't make stupid mistakes like this guy.' he added to himself as the Mist began to struggle to his feet. The beaten man looked at the surrounding Leafs angrily.

"This isn't over, you Leafs. Just wait." his split lips smirked.

"Enough of this." The wolf mask mused, and as if on cue one of the other two Anbus appeared behind the Mist shinobi and struck from behind, catching the body as it went limp.

The three elite Leafs didn't stay to chat with anyone. They gathered their prize and, within an instant, were out of sight. All around, people gathered to examine the damage. Orochimaru heard them talking about the same things he found himself wondering.

"How did he get here? What were the Anbu doing!"

"That's one heck of a security breach!"

"I tell you, its official now: the war's started. No way Hokage-sama will ignored this."

It was that last sentenced which took his notice. He stopped feeling anything for a moment. Even Tsunade's strike was nothing. 'The war's started. That's it. It's no surprise. Not after the last few weeks, really.' he told himself firmly.

Yet, for some reason, he couldn't stop shivering.

__


	10. Chapter Ten

_ The Fire of Konoha is one that will never be extinguished, as long as an Hokage stands to. I am the hope of this village, and it's quite daunting. But I wouldn't want things any other way._

-The Second Hokage, undated letter.

_What you say is quite true. But retiring right now would be foolish. I haven't seen yet one who can truly replace me. Only two might, and they are travelling far. Until one returns and decides to become this village's pillar of strength, I will retire with no fear for the future._

-The Third Hokage, to Koharu's suggestion of retirement.

Future Legends

Chapter Ten

The third night was the worst.

Orochimaru had been utterly unable to contain his pain. It seemed to come beyond anything he had ever experienced. Over the fifty years of his life, the snake-like Sannin had participated in many battles, and had been wounded more times than he could count. But even his deepest physical wounds had been something he had been able to endure. Not so these wounds.

It was only fitting, a part of his mind reflected. After all, the wounds had been caused to the soul itself, the parts which had been the soul part of his arms ripped away by a dying old man whose time and philosophy belonged in the past.

Fortitude, both mental and physical, was stripped away by the unnatural pain, and Orochimaru found himself howling to the night and the wind. He howled in pain, but also in rage. 'How dare you...how dare you, you old fool! How dare 'you' do this to 'me'!' His mind screamed, and eventually it replaced his howl, the anger taking over the pain.

"Curse you, Sarutobi!" He snarled into the night, his voice echoing in its hateful tone.

Pain and rage mingled, and for a moment the image of the old man - the fool that Konoha had so revered as the Third Hokage - swam in his head. He struck then, his foot sweeping at the base of a large tree, his enormous chakra easily cutting down. Orochimaru barely heard it crash. Chest heaving, all he cared about was the fact that the pain was somewhat subsiding.

Having witnessed the entire ordeal, Kabuto simply looked from the shadows and said nothing. A bright boy, Orochimaru considered, much like the Fourth's prized student, Hatake Kakashi. However, Kakashi had been rendered utterly useless, having been fed the Fourth's morals and accepting them as the way things should be. Not so Kabuto. Although the boy still obviously retained affection for the departed Jounin who had adopted and raised him, he was more pragmatic about morals.

His scruples were few yet his loyalty high. A very useful, intelligent tool. And one that knew when speaking was a death sentence.

"Kabuto. Bring me water." He finally commanded, as the pain subsided enough that he could regain control. It wasn't long before the white-haired Sound Jounin had done exactly that, and helped his master drink from a gourd. The fact that he couldn't always drink by himself infuriated Orochimaru. However, with his arms in such bad shape, he didn't dare try his luck so soon.

"This is getting unbearable. Tsunade's help is becoming urgent." He said, having drunk, after a few moments of silence.

"Forgive my impudence, Orochimaru-sama. But how can we be certain she will help?" Kabuto asked with his usual perfect politeness. Orochimaru, for the moment as comfortable as he could be, reflected on the question, then smirked.

"The Legendary Sucker..." The pale man chuckled.

"Orochimaru-sama?" The Jounin was confused, as Orochimaru had known he would be. He savoured the instant - Kabuto was well versed for his young age, and little took him off-guard.

"That's the name Tsunade eventually gained for herself, with her gambling and habits, but also because of her incredible gullibility. Of my two former comrades, she is the easier to fool. Jiraiya is crude and is the worst pervert I've yet seen, but fooling him isn't easy anymore. Or rather Jiraiya won't allow himself to be fooled anymore. He's driven it from his nature."

"A wilful change?" Kabuto asked. Orochimaru nodded.

"Absolutely voluntary. Jiraiya was as naive as they came. But the Mist Cold War pretty much ended that. Afterwards, he cultivated what abilities he had and became quite good at finding information and detecting untruths." The Sannin recounted. This was the reason he hoped Jiraiya wouldn't talk to Tsunade before he did. Unlike with Orochimaru, Tsunade considered Jiraiya a good friend still.

'But that pervert can't offer her anything compared to what I can offer. After all, you'd do anything to see that annoying brother of yours and your idiot lover. Right, Tsunade?' He sneered inwardly. 'Such a base weakness.'

"I am curious. How did your Sannin comrade become suspicious of people? The Cold Mist War didn't affect him at all. Genins didn't fight in this much, except a for a few." The white-haired Jounin wondered.

"You say that because you weren't there. But Genins were involved more than the history books say, I can tell you that much. And we three were involved more than most of the time - Genin or otherwise." Orochimaru retorted. It had been a rough, dangerous, scary and thoroughly edifying experience in the Sannin's mind.

"You must understand something: thirty-eight years ago, Konoha wasn't quite the power it was when we attacked it. In recent years it was doubtless the most powerful Hidden Village, but in those days, the Hidden Mist and Hidden Leaf were both equal in that standing, and many skirmishes occurred between the two powers." "

With Stone siding with the Mist, Lightning then with the Leaf, and Sand in an isolationist period, the stage was set for something major. What I witnessed was only the beginning. That spy the Anbu found, well, the Mist managed an even better capture. You can guess who, don't you?"

Kabuto closed his eyes. Orochimaru looked at him quietly as the teen went through the story he had told some time before. Eventually, the Jounin's eyebrows rose a bit, and he opened his eyes.

"Ayako-san. The Third's lover." was all he said, with conviction. Orochimaru grinned approvingly.

"Exactly. The Mist's transgressions had poured oiled over the fields of war. Her capture was the spark which put it all aflame." Orochimaru said. He usually found imagery wasteful, but had to admit this one fit well.

"But, if I may, how?" Kabuto persisted, with almost youthful earnestness. The Sannin would have shrugged if it hadn't triggered his simmering arms.

"Bring me more water. This will be long." He asked, and Kabuto executed himself. After drinking his fill, the pale man collected his thoughts. This was an interesting part of the war, but also one that he would have problems to recount fully, given that he had been young then.

"To understand the whole situation, I'll have to explain Ayako's capture. Now, I never saw these events myself. However, I was told enough by Sarutobi, and Ayako, and learned other bits in my missions to the Mist. I managed to put a picture of what happened back together. This is partly supposition, but I doubt much of it is wrong." The Sannin said.

"Now, lets see. Ayako's capture."

38 years earlier...

Idakawa Ayako had seen better days. She'd also seen more than her share of bad ones. It came with the job when one took to spying on another village. She'd learned to take the bad days in stride, and enjoy the good ones.

'Yeah, I've seen better days. But not worst ones. This is number one on my list so far!' she told herself testily as she attempted to escape from seven highly skilled Mist Jounins.

The chase had gone on for nearly twenty minutes. It had been interrupted by small skirmishes, where Ayako's fire jutsus had clashed against the enemy's water jutsus. She had managed to put three of the original tent pursuers out of the fight for the time being.

However, she was near the end of her rope. Wounds and gashes crisscrossed her body, seeping blood, making her trail clear, for the enemy had given as got as it got. Her chakra level was low, and her stamina even worse. Her breath came in ragged gasps, and every movement was fast becoming torture.

Moreover, the enemy had an obvious terrain advantage. The island on which Mist Village sprawled had a moist, cool climate, much unlike the hotter, drier climes of Konoha. Her fire jutsus were weakened, while such an environment could only strengthen water jutsus. Even worse for her, the Jounins had been born and raised on the island, and knew every corner of it like the back of their hand. No matter how skilled Ayako was - and she knew she was very skilled - she hadn't been able to elude them.

Many shinobi had been known to give up at one point. Chuunins certainly, and some Jounins. But Ayako didn't even consider it an instant. Raised hard, she had been taught from birth that the true defeat was to stop believing. Her mother had told her 'As long as you struggle, you live.' Ayako had taken the adage as her own, and had lived by it, shrugging danger off while fully understanding it.

Although it drove Sarutobi mad at times, this near-reckless way of Ayako's was her life. Her way of the ninja. And she wasn't about to back away from the way she'd found for herself.

A shadow came to life in front of her, and a kunai appeared in her hand, blocking the blow instinctively. She flipped backward, dodged a kick, responded with a connecting one, and resumed running before anyone else caught up. Sadly, someone had been close enough, and three shurikens dug in her back. She hissed in pain, flinging the kunai in the direction the attack had been thrown, and continued running from tree to tree.

Her vision swam a bit.

"Not good at all." she muttered. If her keen sight was beginning to fail her, then it meant that the shurikens had been poisoned. She was surprised that they hadn't tried it before. 'Then again, with ten Jounins, they probably thought they wouldn't need that much to capture me.' she reflected grimly.

For that was what they wanted to do: capture, not kill. If they'd wanted to kill her outright, their combined power would have been more than enough. No, they had worn her down slowly, until she was in this state. Soon, she knew she wouldn't be able to continue. This battle had a foregone conclusion.

Yet, despite that knowledge, still she kept running, hoping against hope.

Her senses were dulled by pain and fatigue, such that she detected the exploding note stamped on the branch she landed on as she stepped on it. She never hesitated, jumping away as soon as she felt that danger. She didn't quite make it, however. Although she managed to avoid direct damage, the wind and concussion knocked the wind out of her, and she dropped out of the overhanging branch.

Quickly she channelled chakra to stick to the face of the nearest tree, and then swiftly brought her up on its side, sticking by her feet. She quickly began a series of seals while facing upward, where she felt several of the pursuers coming down at her. They had thought she was finished, and were taking no step to protect themselves.

"Hebi, Uma, Ryu, Nezumi, O-ushi, Tora!" she muttered, then, gathering most of her carefully hoarded chakra, she filled her lungs with air and mixed it, her upper body swelling to nearly twice her size for a second, exactly as the enemy came within her range. Despite the reality of the situation, she couldn't help but grin inwardly.

"Katon! Karyuu Endan!" she called, putting her hand in front of her face as an inferno engulfed the entire area in front of her. It was one of the most powerful jutsus in a Leaf Jounin's arsenal, and the moist terrain couldn't stop it. Screams resounded inside it, and three forms fell out of it around her, and crashed to the ground. 'Scratch three, only three left.' she told herself hopefully.

But then her feet slipped, and she slid down, to the bottom of the tree, surrounded by the burning forms of the Mist she'd gotten with her last reserves. As she leaned against the tree, she briefly reflected on what the future held for her. 'They're going to take me in. I've got no strength left. Seven out of ten...it's not bad at all. Eh, Saru-kun?'

Sarutobi. She realized she'd never outwardly told him how much his stern but caring presence meant for her. She'd shown it as much as she could when they made love, of course. It was an area of life - perhaps the only one except for stealth - where Sarutobi didn't leave her in the dust. She remembered when she had been envious of him. 'The great Sarutobi, the Second's star student, the best of Konoha's Jounins. I couldn't stand you.' she remembered.

And then they'd done missions together, and she found other sides to the talented shinobi. Eventually, they'd become friends and, finally, something more. Although she felt very happy with him, she was too proud to truly tell him. She wasn't blind: she knew her reckless dismissals hurt him. But she couldn't open herself.

She felt three presences land close to her. 'Now, I might never have the chance. Sarutobi, I love you. If I somehow survive this, I swear I'll tell you, this time.' Her head seemed heavy - the poison was beginning to overtake her system. She grasped her last two remaining kunai. Even at this time, despair refused to take hold. She didn't know what the word meant. She was fiery steel.

And like molten steel, she fell upon her remaining enemies.

They struck her, she knew. But at this point, the poison had numbed everything else, and she ran on pure willpower. Her kunai struck and slashed, gutting one of the remaining jounins, while she dodged a shot and exchanged blow with another. She growled menacingly, and stuck the other kunai into his eye in one, rage-filled move. The enemy only made one, surprised grunt, then fell over dead.

She turned towards the last enemy. She saw his eyes widen, and she actually saw a slight trembled. She gathered all of her hate, all of her bitterness and killing intent, and flung it at him. He seemed utterly overwhelmed by it, and stood still.

'Nine out of ten.' She thought. 'Not bad, not bad. I've beaten everyone but you and Hokage-sama, Saru-kun.' She said.

It was on that note that, unable to take the strain of both poison, pain and blood loss, her body gave out, and she fell into unconsciousness.

'Nine out of ten, my love.' she thought triumphantly as blackness overtook her.

The Present...

Kabuto seemed to be considering what Orochimaru had said. Finally, he shook his head.

"If you are right, she was a formidable shinobi indeed. But I fail to see why her capture changed the pace of things in those days. Spies getting captured or killed happen." he said, politely but with a hint of dubiousness. Orochimaru, far from being offended, gave a superior smirk. 'The boy really knows nothing about this. How galling it must be.'

"That is because you do not yet understand her meaning in the hierarchy of the Leaf,» he answered. Still Kabuto did not seem to quite understand. Not surprising, as he hadn't been there.

"What could it be, then? Information she had?" the white-haired teen reasoned.

"Close. But to explain this, I must tell you how things were for me and my teammates. Sarutobi had trained us hard, you see."

38 years earlier...

"Now, look at what I'm doing, then we'll see if you can get it right." Sarutobi said. Orochimaru looked on intensely. They'd been practicing taijutsu intensely, moreso since the Mist Shinobi was found in their midst. Others had been found, it was said, and the entire village was on edge. The goateed Jounin had gone out of his way to give them as much knowledge as he could before the battles began.

"Who knows what will happen once Hokage-sama decides that its time for us to move? I may well be going to the front lines, while you three stay behind. If so, you and others Genins will have to protect the village. Lets just make sure you have a fighting chance, shall we?" was what the man had said when Tsunade had asked.

And so, their training had begun. Although they'd thought he was strict before, the team's sensei had shown himself to be utterly implacable when it came to the new training. They arrived at dawn - Sarutobi had extra work for those who were late - and left late in the evening, only stopping to eat and for a few, short rests. Whines, moans and complaints were utterly ignored as he dragooned them all into the best shape they could.

Orochimaru's whole body itched from those days, especially since Sarutobi demonstrated some techniques one of the three. He was certain his entire body was one big bruise, and he thought that he might fall apart if he made a sudden move.

He had never felt happier. This was the pace of training in which things were truly 'learned' in the snake-like boy's mind. 'I didn't grow up pampered like Tsunade and Jiraiya. I can take whatever he throws at me! I have to! I will!' He reflected as he watched with his comrades. In front of them, facing sideways, Sarutobi made a series of seals, and then took in a long breath. His body seemed to impossibly swell for a moment, then it released into a great gout of flame that would have taken all three of the Genins if they'd been standing in front of it.

"W-woah." Jiraiya exclaimed. Sarutobi nodded - to himself, probably - and turned towards them quickly.

"What's the justu I just used? Anyone can tell me that?" he inquired. Jiraiya mumbled while Tsunade frowned. It seemed that both had heard of the jutsu, but neither could remember what it had been called. Orochimaru, however, had read of such techniques daily. It had been necessary, to bring something in his life when others wouldn't play with him or, more often, wanted nothing to do with him at all.

"Katon-Goukyakuu no Jutsu. A standard attack, but powerful if well used. It can be a defense or an offense. It's an old jutsu, created during the Ninja Wars, but refined into its current form by the First Hokage." he lectured. Sarutobi grinned.

"Well done, Orochimaru! That's exactly the jutsu. This is what we'll learn today." their sensei said. Both Jiraiya and Tsunade shot Orochimaru a dark look. He ignored them. All that mattered was that he was right and that Sarutobi recognized it fully.

"The seal order is Tora, Saru, Ousu-buta, Uma and Tora. That's the order of seals I used. Now each of you: remember that combination. Never forget it! This is a jutsu you'll always be glad to have in a fight. You need to mix chakra with the air in your mouth, then exhale as you've seen. Now, each of you try it once, right now." The Jounin ordered.

"Right now! But Sarutobi-sensei...!" Jiraiya began.

"We should practice getting the seals right before..." Tsunade said nearly at the same instant. Orochimaru remained silent. Unsurprisingly, Sarutobi cut them both off.

"The best way to practice a technique is to try it at once. Then problems can be addressed until the student has it down. And I can tell you I won't stop until all three of you have it down perfectly." Sarutobi warned. It surprised no one. The Jounin was a perfectionist when it came to schooling, and that was something they'd learned to live with early on.

Jiraiya was chosen to try first and the white-haired boy came forward reluctantly. He bit his lips, then began his jutsu. Orochimaru watched critically, and had to admit that Jiraiya had the seals down pretty well, despite as slight hesitation. He brought in his breath, his chest barely swelling, and released a small puff of fire for a few instants. Sarutobi made a sound and shook his head.

"Jiraiya, you didn't mix enough chakra! That shot wouldn't have harmed or fended off anyone! Tsunade, your turn!" The Jounin snapped. As Jiraiya sighed and walked back, Tsunade sullenly took his place. She'd been in a bad phase recently, and this caused Jiraiya and Orochimaru - even Maya - to walk on eggs around her.

'Tora, Saru, Ousu-buta, Tori - Tori?! That'll never work!' Orochimaru exclaimed inwardly, even as Tsunade took in a breath and blew nothing but air. She looked indignant that her technique hadn't worked, and glared at her hands. Sarutobi was completely unsympathetic.

"Uma, not Tori, is the second to last seal, Tsunade. You're not making any progress in ninjutsu. Work harder to remember the seals. And don't glare at me like that! You have only yourself to blame! Orochimaru, try it." Their sensei retorted.

The pale Genin walked forward with a confidence he didn't quite feel. Although Sarutobi had praised him much recently, his eyes were as intent and unrelenting as they had been for the other two. Orochimaru pushed that out of his mind, and remembered the series of seals. His hands moved. Although he couldn't shift between changes as quickly as Sarutobi could, he forced himself to show no hesitation. He took it a breath and forced chakra into it. Warmth took hold inside as he did, and he released it sharply. A blast of flame streaked out. It was nothing next to Sarutobi's, but he knew he had done better than Jiraiya. He looked towards the man and found the Jounin contemplating him.

Then, to Orochimaru's inner joy, he nodded a bit. Severely.

"Its the basics, yes. You still need work." The Jounin said. Knowing how to read between the lines, Orochimaru knew that it was a very high compliment indeed. He nearly smirked right into his teammates' glowering faces. Sarutobi seemed about to say something else, when all at once, a masked ANBU nearby.

"Sarutobi-san. Hokage-sama is summoning the higher-ranked Jounins immediately." The Anbu said politely, but even without seeing his face, it was clear that the order was of the most extreme emergency.

The Jounin's face changed slightly. It became, if possible, grimmer than before. It was the face of someone who had been waiting for news for some time and, despite the knowledge the news would be bad, felt that it was worse than he'd thought. Sarutobi didn't waste time asking question. Instead he simply nodded at the waiting, tense Anbu.

"You three. Practice that Jutsu I've just taught you. I expect better results when I come back." he told them, and he and the Anbu vanished together. The other two walked closer.

"What's that, another emergency meeting?" Jiraiya wondered. Tsunade gave a sullen shrug.

"How the heck should I know?" she snapped. Orochimaru took a look around the empty clearing.

"Haven't you two figured it out?" he asked, then met his comrades' inquisitive eyes. He smirked with confidence, although some part of him, he had to admit, felt quite afraid.

"The war's begun. That's all there is to it." Orochimaru hissed with finality.

The atmosphere was tense as Sarutobi entered the main meeting room. The place was already pretty full. Dozens of Jounins were present, many of them extremely important. There was Hyuuga Kanzu, the head of the powerful and wealthy Main Family. Uchiha Lao of the Uchihas. The Naras, the Akamichis, the Inuzakas and many others. All from families who had served admirably from the very first. There were other individual shinobis, Sarutobi saw, Anbus and Jounins who had gained the right to sit in this place through sheer deeds.

It was an extremely powerful group, physically and politically. It made Sarutobi shiver as he went to find a place for himself. Only the Second and his two main advisors weren't present, he saw, and everyone seemed to be on edge. 'No one here is a fool. They made the same connection I did.' Sarutobi reflected.

He spotted Homura waving to him, and briskly walked to them.

"Took you long enough. Sit down, we saved one for you." Koharu said beside Sarutobi's other former teammate. With as much of a grin as he could muster, the short Jounin settled down in the seat. It wasn't a very comfortable place, nor was it meant to be.

"So, it begins." Sarutobi sighed. His friends shot him a look, then looked forward once more.

"Looks like it. Another war. It's been a few years. I was getting used to getting nothing but small skirmishes. But, I guess all good things really must come to an end." Homura reflected grimly. Koharu shot him another look, half-serious, half amused.

"Always encouraging, aren't we Homura-kun?" She half-teased.

"I can't help it." The man responded, but neither could summon enough banter to continue the fight, while Sarutobi was lost in thought. The three waited, as did most of the others. Little conversation occurred.

And them the Second entered, followed by his advisors. Everyone rose and bowed slightly, until the three were seated, then sat once more. Sarutobi found his mentor tired and looking his age, as if his ever-present vitality had fled. 'This is worse for him. He's seen more battles than anyone here, and he's probably sicker of war than anyone else. But he has to go and tell us to fight. That's his job. That's a crushing responsibility.' he reflected. He wondered, if he was chosen as the Third, if he has his sensei's strength. Sarutobi hoped so.

"Good afternoon, my friends. I'm sorry to call you all back from your duties and families. However, I'm afraid it can't be helped. I'll be blunt with you, since you are the best and strongest in both body and mind: the negotiations have become impossible. Our requests for a parley have been rejected. War is becoming inevitable. No, that's wrong. The war has begun. The Mist is already preparing its forces." The Second said. So calm and composed was he that the gravity of the situation only the assembled shinobi an instant after the words were spoken.

"More kids are going to get killed." Sarutobi muttered angrily. He wasn't truly angry at the Second, but rather at the very idea of war. Shinobi should be protectors rather than simple killers. And that was what war made them: killers. As mutterings grew amongst the assembled Jounins and Anbus, the Second spoke again, commanding immediate silence. He seemed to gaze into Sarutobi's eyes before he spoke.

"There is one more piece of news to report. We have gained valuable information thanks to our best agent, Idakawa Ayako. However, we lost contact with her well over a week ago. It has come to me from other sources that she has, indeed, been captured, and is most probably been interrogated right now." The Second said, and his gaze strayed to Sarutobi, sadly this time.

Sarutobi didn't notice Homura's pat or Koharu's words. He didn't notice the uproar the declaration caused. He felt utterly numb. 'I-is this some kind of joke? No, no, Kenji-sensei would never pull something this cruel. So that means that...that my Ayako is...' he forced himself not to finish the thought, and refused to let unbidden images of Ayako being tortured poison his mind. Still, it took a while before he regained himself sufficiently to hear what was being said. Hyuuga Kanzu was addressing the assembly.

"...cannot allow Idakawa to remain in their hands. She is one of our highest-ranking Jounins. She is part of this assembly. She knows secrets that would put our defences in grave jeopardy. At the same time, however, we cannot let the Mist come here unimpeded." the man said with the air of one used to commanding others, his white eyes sweeping them all.

"Indeed, Hyuuga-dono. But if they come here, the Uchiha Clan will give them a very unpleasant welcome." Uchiha Lao said. The Second cleared his throat.

"What Kanzu said is truth. So I've come to this decision. There will be three teams organized for the coming conflict. Tora Team, Ryu Team, and Hebi Team. Hebi Team will be the smallest, made up of a small group of our strongest Jounins to liberate Idakawa before they break her and she reveals our secrets. Ryu Team will be larger: I include Jounins and the best we can find among the Chuunins and Genins to take part. That force will have to strike at the enemy to slow it, and deal critical damage if it can."

"Tora Team will be the largest, made up of all remaining forces available to us presently. They will defend Konoha itself. When Idakawa is returned to us, and the attack turned, Ryu Team will be reinforced by Hebi Team and a third of Tora Team and initiate a counter-attack. We are facing the Mist here, friends. We cannot show weakness at any time. Until this situation is resolved, I suspend all missions until further orders. Any questions?"

"Sir! I will lead Hebi Team!" Sarutobi said, jumping to his feet. All muttered and gasped at the sudden improper way the goateed Jounin addressed the Hokage. All except his old teammates and his old master, who looked at him knowingly.

"Sarutobi, I'm not surprised to hear you say that. I understand your situation, but you're a Jounin Sensei, and you can't simply leave on such a mission." The Second told Sarutobi gently.

"My team is ready. They've seen combat and have had a brush with death. They already have seen more than most Genins. Further, I've trained them hard since then, and I will do so until we leave. I must lead Hebi Team. I swear I will bring us to our goal, and bring everyone on that team back!" Sarutobi stared hard at the Second. He would go, even if the Second objected. 'Please, Kenji-sensei! I will bring the whole thing back, and I will do everything to bring her back to Konoha...to me...safely!' He thought desperately.

The Second seemed to consider things in silence, as everyone looked on. He finally speared Sarutobi with his gaze. It was not the gaze of a mentor, but that of the powerful shinobi whose sword had defeated innumerable enemies in many wars.

"I have your word, Sarutobi. If I give you this, you will bring your entire team back to this village. Alive. Are we clear on this much?" He commanded.

"Hokage-sama, I will not fail. You will not be disappointed in any way." Sarutobi answered. Another silence ensued.

"Very well then. But I will talk to you after this meeting is over. Now, we must choose who will go where. I want your ideas and suggestions on the table at once. The Mist never do things halfway, my friends. This war, short or long, will be bloody." The Second said, and all could feel the undertone of sadness in the revered man as he talked.

The Present...

"Very interesting, Orochimaru-sama. The histories never talked of a Hebi Team. Only of the other two." Kabuto said.

"Of course. They aren't about to talk about these things. I only learned of it through luck and careful questioning."

"A question, however: someone had to train you while the Third was away." The Jounin told the Sannin. Orochimaru nodded simply, grinning still. It almost made him forget the constant pain in his arms.

"That, for a lack of a better word, was very interesting."

38 years earlier...

Orochimaru knew that something was up. He had known from the very moment Sarutobi had returned, that there was something that would happen. His sensei had the face of a man both alarmed and excited, on the razor's edge of action and yet restraining himself from that very action.

They'd all noticed it. Even Tsunade, who in her sullen moods could be worse than Jiraiya, had noticed. They looked at each other for a moment, indecisive. Finally, it was Tsunade who broke the uncomfortable silence.

"So, the war's started. Eh, Sarutobi-sensei?" The blonde Genin asked, and Sarutobi stopped fidgeting and fixed her with a look, finally exhaling sharply.

"Yes. I was trying to find a better way to phrase it, but yes." He said, and it seemed to cost him an effort. 'Its not just the war. It's more than that. Its like he got an answer to something and he doesn't like it.' Tsunade, however, was reading her own signs as she continued speaking, this time less sullenly than before.

"Are we going to fight, too?" She asked. Jiraiya nearly jumped out of his skin.

"Hey! Are even ready for this? We're just Genins still, you know!" He snapped. Whether out of anger of fear, Tsunade regained her temper, and glared at the two boys dangerously.

"So what?! Genins have fought in wars before! It doesn't matter whether we've been doing this thing for two months or two decades. We're asked to fight, we fight!" She growled right back. Secretly, Orochimaru agreed with her.

"Well, that sucks!" Jiraiya grumbled, but the pale boy saw grudging acceptance in his eyes. 'Strange that the most boisterous of us is the most hesitant when it comes to 'real' action. The irony is biting.' Orochimaru, for his part, found himself both nervous and excited. The pale Genin looked at the man he had come to respect for his power and knowledge.

"Are you going to go fight, sensei?" he asked.

"Yes, I am." There was no hesitation in the Jounin's reply to that. Orochimaru tackled his other question quickly.

"Are we?" Orochimaru asked as calmly as he could.

"In the Leaf, in times of war, every shinobi fights. Although I don't like it, you're strong enough to fight." The man said, looking sombre. Yet there was something which led Orochimaru to believe the present situation occupied only a fraction of his sensei's thoughts. Even then, he didn't care. For Sarutobi had confirmed it: they'd be fighting in the war.

He truly wondered how he felt about that. On one hand, his stomach clenched, and there was a shiver, which raked through his being. He'd seen real combat, and had barely survived it. The Mist he would encounter would try to terminate him by any means they'd have at their disposal. Yes, fear was definitely a big factor.

But it wasn't the only feeling that factored in.

Ever since he'd been beaten that severely, Orochimaru had wanted never to feel so helpless again. He didn't know how he would be able to achieve that, but if he could find a way, he would. The training brought opportunities to learn ninjutsu, taijutsu and genjutsu. But the war would allow him to test how far he could go. The pale boy had never needed anyone to protect him for as long as he could remember, and he wouldn't start today.

But was it that simple? Deep inside of the boy, something stirred for moment. It was there, at the edge of his consciousness. He tried hard to keep the thoughts to himself. It seemed like an answer, something very important but, at the same time, frightening. 'Why frightening? Why is that answer frightening?' But the impression receded, so fast that he wondered where that near-revelation had been real or not.

"But...Sarutobi-sensei. We gotta continue our training. You can't just leave us like this with nothing!" Jiraiya said, looking appalled. Both Tsunade and Orochimaru stared. 'Ever since he's been with that Maya, he's been acting like that. Its like she's making him into a coward.' he thought disdainfully. He was surprised to feel he actually missed the pre-Maya, reckless snow-haired boy. His question, however, had an undeniable merit, and Sarutobi treated it as such.

"Of course. You need to keep training. But I can't. Not now. This mission must have precedence over all things. Such are the way things are." The Jounin told them. Tsunade huffed in her usual way.

"You're always saying things like that, sensei! But we can't learn by ourselves at this stage! So who's going to teach us while you're gone?" she demanded, not caring about her angry tone. Not that any of the present ninjas were surprised by its fire.

"Well, I suppose it will be me. For a little while, at least. If you keep such an attitude, Tsunade, you'll never achieve what you wish for. But I told you that already." A voice sounded as someone emerged from the thick shadows of the forest into the clearing. Orochimaru's eyes widened uncontrollably as the Second Hokage, leader of Konoha, walked up to them.

"Grampa Kenji!" Tsunade exclaimed happily, drawing looks from her team and a slight smile from the Second.

"Hokage-sama." Orochimaru bowed in respect.

"Great. A geezer." Jiraiya huffed. Which earned him a smack on top of the head. Sarutobi looked down at Jiraiya in displeasure.

"Jiraiya! I can't believe you truly area Futema! I'm overjoyed Hokage-sama proposed this! He is the most powerful man in the village, and the most experienced. There cannot be a better replacement to me than him! Now, show some respect, before I lose patience!" The Jounin clearly growled. The boy looked unrepentant for a moment, then he looked at the Second and bowed his head.

"Sorry, Hokage-sama." Jiraiya said.

"No harm was done. I 'am' an old man, Sarutobi. No need to fuss about it. Now, you should go. Your team leaves within the hour." The leader of Konoha said. Sarutobi gave the three warning looks that told volumes about what would happen if they weren't at their best while training with the Second Hokage. 'As if I'd mess the opportunities up.' Orochimaru thought, slightly insulted. 'I'm not like the Snowball.'

"Very well. I will be leaving them in your care, sensei." Sarutobi said.

"Good. And Sarutobi?" The Second asked. The goateed Jounin looked back for a moment.

"Don't worry about that 'other' matter. It will be taken care of." The old man said.


	11. Chapter Eleven

I wasn't someone who dated. It wasn't that I hated women, you know. It was... lack of interest, I suppose. I was popular, but not in the way some womanizers are. Then I met Fusae. And I wondered how I could have been so blind all that time. For only when one finds a soulmate can he truly be complete. Well, that's what I think, at any rate.

-Futema Mudoya

I hate battle. Even moreso because I happen to be excellent when it comes down to it.

-Sarutobi, to Ayako

Future Legends

Chapter Eleven

Jiraiya had rarely felt like this. He'd gone through life not only by being a shinobi with very strong talents for ninjutsu and uncanny summoning skills, but also by knowing when to say the right thing to the right person. It had allowed him to find Tsunade in a few short weeks whereas other fruitless searches had lasted far longer.

His late father had been the same, only to a higher degree. Futema Mudoya had been a strong ninja, Jounin-level even though he never accepted to officially rise beyond chuunin. But it had been the way he had to make others talk and understand them which had made Mudoya one of the most popular and respected shinobi in Konoha. His mother, while gentle and caring, had always been blunt and prone to temperamental pronouncements. Futema Fusae had been very glad to see that her son had inherited his father's manner when dealing with people.

Looking at his oldest remaining friend, however, Jiraiya wished that his blunt and forceful mother or his far more diplomatic father was there talking in his place. Tsunade was being dragged down by old grief, and there was nothing he could say to stop the landslide. A landslide that had Orochimaru's twisted plan as the end.

"Don't talk about the Third that way again." he sighed suddenly, while drinking some sake. Beside him, his old teammate seemed shaken out of her musings.

"What's that? The Third...?" Tsunade asked, then her face stiffened. She remembered.

'Sarutobi-sensei was the same. An old man dreaming...no wonder he died.' Jiraiya remembered what she'd told him and Naruto. She said it in a voice clouded by old pain. Unlike the young Genin, Jiraiya hadn't believed she had meant the words. But they had still infuriated him. Infuriated him because she'd spoken them at all.

"Don't belittle what the old man was, or what he did. He did more for Konoha and for the Fire Country that both of us put together in his time." He told her pointedly. 'And if I sound a bit harsh there, too darn bad for her!'

For a moment, she glared at him through a face which had been preserved through special medical jutsu and genjutsu. It was a beautiful face - a fact he usually kept to himself - but also a troubled one. Then, after a tense moment, she relaxed into a slightly sullen stance.

"Give me a break, Jiraiya. I didn't mean it the way it sounded."

"I hope so. Because that would belittle you." 'And the two whom you loved so much.' he thought, but he wisely kept the last part silent. Talking about Dan and Nawaki had become almost taboo over the years.

"Don't start giving me lectures. You're as bad as that brat of yours." Tsunade said. Only a minute earlier, they'd been talking about how similar Naruto and Nawaki had been, in both mind and body. Jiraiya shook his head wryly as he began to feel slight drowsiness in the back of his mind. 'Naruto always seems to make an impression on people. If the brat ever becomes an Hokage, he won't be a quiet one.'

"Hah! The kid might have some issues, and he screws up a lot. But that's because Konoha screwed up his life. He knows pain and loneliness only too well. Because of that, he takes a dim view of people dismissing others out of hand. I do too. But unlike him, I don't think you meant all that crap you said." 'I hope not. Or else not only am I really a poor shadow of dad's talent, but Konoha might be positively doomed.'

Jiraiya knew he would take the title of Fifth Hokage if Tsunade refused, but he would be a poor Hokage. He loved Konoha, but he didn't have the knack that had made the previous Leaf leaders great.

"The old man may have lost things, but not like me." Tsunade mused almost idly, while pouring herself more sake.

"He lost a lot too." Jiraiya pointed out. His mother's ire mounted, but it was mired by this growing fatigue. 'Guess I'm really getting old.' He thought.

"Yes, well, not that way. He never had someone more precious than life snatched away in a meaningless battle." She said, as if this settled the argument. Jiraiya coughed into his sake, and opened his mouth to retort. But what slipped out of his mouth surprised even him.

"Remember the Cold Mist War?" He asked. It seemed to take her aback, too. 'Good. Something of the old girl's still in there.' He rejoiced. She seemed to struggle as she heard what he said.

"That's really old history, Jiraiya. That was...what...thirty-seven...thirty-eight years ago? What's the point with it?" She asked. But there was hesitation in her eyes. A yearning to have new insight, new wisdom. And, perhaps, new choices.

"It was a pretty tight moment for us...all of us. I mean, our spies were captured - including Ayako-san - or killed outright. The Mist had been fed some inside information, and it was moving in." He sighed sombrely. "And then there was that-" Jiraiya began again, then decided to let the subject drop for the moment. Both knew what he'd been about to say, and knew that it was something Jiraiya would never quite live down. Tsunade looked into her sake for a moment.

"Yeah. It sure was... a dangerous time." she admitted.

Outside, people drifted on their own affairs. 'Lucky devils.' he thought 'They're here because we shinobis fought the Cold Mist War, and the others which followed after. But these people...they probably lost precious people in the war too.'

"You want to know my point? That I miss my parents. I really miss them. Every single day. But I don't let that grief rule my life. They wouldn't want that." He underlined the 'they' slightly to show that it wasn't meant to talk only about his parents, but also of those two whose deaths had scarred his dear friend so.

The answer was immediate. Tsunade's shoulders tensed, and her eyes flared with hurt and anger. Anger at Jiraiya for even skirting the taboo, but also anger at herself for being unable to let go. She struggled with her emotions for a moment, and then gave a ragged hiss.

"You can't understand, Jiraiya-" She said, only to find Jiraiya stare straight back at her.

"You're the one who can't understand. You're not the only one who's suffered." He then turned away. He was starting to feel slightly dizzy, and that took away most of his anger. He stared at no point in particular, remembering the past. His time as a Genin, when Orochimaru had been a comrade, if never quite a friend. Of his departed sensei and his also-departed wife.

"They found each other at that time. The old man and Ayako-san. Before, I think they never quite faced their feelings. But after she'd been captured...after all of that... things began to change. I still remember that team the Third had led to save her." Jiraiya said.

"The best Konoha had, or just about." Tsunade agreed.

"But that didn't matter to Sarutobi back then. I think he would have gone at it alone. I remember when he told me about that time. From what I understand, he never let his feelings show, always kept control. But he never stopped thinking about Ayako-san nonetheless."

38 years earlier...

Hebi Team was very small, being made up of five shinobi. Compared to the hundreds of the other teams and forces that Konoha had assembled in order to meet the possible Mist threat, it was minuscule.

But the power contained in the five who had swiftly crossed a staggering distance in only a mere three days was by no means minuscule.

Among them was Hyuuga Mizuri, thought to be the strongest female Hyuuga alive. Some indeed thought that, had the Main family leader not been supposed to be male, she would have ascended to that position in the near future. Her Blood Limit ability - the Byakugan - as well as her Jyuuken fighting style was second to none among the entire bloodline.  
The second was Uchiha Kubo. At twenty-two years of age, he'd been a Jounin for nearly five, and had proven to be a resilient, talented ninja with a strong Blood Limit in the form of the Sharingan, as well as being a first-rate Fire Jutsu user. There were rumours that he could use something else as well, but that those who'd had it used on them were either dead or catatonic...

Compared to the other two, Nara Vaina seemed ordinary. She wasn't extremely powerful, nor were her skills - aside from stealth - much better than the average Jounin. Yet Sarutobi had taken her without hesitation. Not because of her skills, or because the woman happened to have a good grasp of the shadow techniques inherent to the Nara Clan. It simply had to do with the fact that Vaina was never wrong in her guesses. She was an intuitive force to reckon with.

The last man of the team was no less than Kai, Sarutobi's rival and comrade of a hundred missions. Kai had no special ability, but rather had worked everything he had learned as high as he could. His specialty field, however, was Genjutsu. In that, even Sarutobi did not quite match him. Although the two had argued and sometimes fought all of their lives, Sarutobi knew that Kai was a Shinobo one could count on.

Sarutobi, if it had been any other mission, would have felt pride and even some unease in leading such a team. It was certainly the strongest collection of five that Konoha could do. Moreover, each was a talented and highly respected Jounin with a spotless mission record. Yes, at other times, it would have made him worry whether he really had what it took. But not on this mission. All that mattered was that Ayako was out there, and that he was leading a team to rescue her. Failure and even doubts had never been considered.

They glided from tree to tree like ghosts, leaving no trace of their passage, hiding their presence perfectly. They had entered the Mist's borders for the last two hours. So far, they had escaped detection, but they all knew something was bound to happen. He looked to his right as Vaina came at his side.

"Swing around by the right. Straight ahead's no good." She said, seeming almost bored with the entire ordeal. Her eyes, however, were intent.

Sarutobi had seen her work too often to even argue. Wordlessly, he led his team around to the right, before coming back to the direction leading to Hidden Mist. It wasn't long before Mizuri stopped all of them with a swift signal which meant 'Stop. Enemy patrol.' At once, everyone stopped at a tree, pressing themselves against the bark and making no sound. Mizuri's eyes had large veins protruding around them, as she had been using Byakugan for a while now, ever since they'd come inside the enemy territory.

"Have they spotted us?" He asked through special, silent signs.

"Not yet. They haven't lessened their speed, or altered their course." She signalled back in response. The team waited tensely. Sarutobi could sense them now, and once more thanked Vaina's uncanny insight. If they'd continued, they would have met the patrol, and their cover would have been quite blown.

Finally, after what seemed to be an eternity but actually was certainly less than a minute, the Hyuuga relaxed ever so slightly. Knowing what that meant, the others left their spot and went to meet her.

"All clear." she confirmed. "They didn't see us or feel us."

"That was a close one, though. We're in the midst of the Mist alright." Kubo muttered. "It's only going to get worse now."

"We all knew that. We might have some casualties, but we can't let them take Idakawa's secrets to the battlefield." Kai would muse silently, but it closed the discussion. Sarutobi, however, vowed that he would bring back his team and Ayako back safely. All of them. If he couldn't do that, then he wasn't worthy to follow his sensei's path as Hokage.

"We don't want casualties if we can avoid them. I say we find the weakest point in the Hidden Mist Village and infiltrate from there." Vaina mused.

"Agreed. Remember that we're here for one reason only: Ayako's rescue. We're not here to sabotage their efforts in any way. I have confidence in Hokage-sama that the Mist will be stopped." Sarutobi said firmly. It seemed to agree with all but Kai, who smirked.

"You'd say that. After all, its your lover in there, isn't it? Wouldn't surprise me if you got emotional on us about her." the Jounin said with a wolfish grin. Hyuuga Mizuri looked at him in disapproval.

"You're out of line, Kai! This personal attack is unbecoming of a Jounin of the Leaf!" She said fiercely. Before the conflict could escalate further, however, Sarutobi put a hand on the powerful Hyuuga's shoulder, and stared at Kai.

For as long as he could remember, he and Kai had been rivals in everything they did. That Sarutobi seemed to always have slightly more talent had infuriated the other man, and Sarutobi had been challenged more than once. Still, he didn't believe that Kai's feelings were that strong. He heard petulance in the man's voice - as if he was seeking fault in his rival. Still, he found Kai's sudden comment petty above all else.

"Kai. When I took this mission, I took it for Ayako first and Konoha second. That much is true. However, since the mission is about rescuing Ayako, there's nothing wrong with that. It doesn't lessen my loyalty to Konoha. As for my feelings, I assure you I can control them. I've proven that many times. Please stop trying to throw the work this team has to accomplish by being petty in what you say. Is that clear?" Sarutobi said, glaring at Kai coldly.

The moist forest fell silent as he hissed the last words, the only sounds being the wind and the occasional rustling of the leaves as the wind blew. Kai looked to the others for support, only to see Kubo glaring at him and Vaina looking absolutely uninterested. Whatever Kai was, however, he wasn't a fool. Seeing that his plan had backfired rather badly, he admitted defeat.

"I apologize, commander. It was a rude and unnecessary comment." Kai said. Sarutobi stared at him a moment more, then grunted as he nodded. As far as this incident was concerned, things were under control again.

"Good. We'll follow Vaina's advice. Let's go." he said, and began jumping from tree to tree at inhuman speeds, followed by the others closely. Despite what he had said, however, Sarutobi still doubted himself.

After all, if they were too late, what would he do?

The jutsu washed over Ayako's body, and the chained Jounin couldn't hold back a moan of pain as the chakra-fueled water attack seeped into her nerves. It was all her disciplined mind allowed the body to utter, however, before her jaws clamped shut tight, and she glared at her captor. Having been stripped of clothes except for undergarments, she shivered in the cold of the stonewalled interrogation room.

Her hands had been manacled, and chained to the ceiling. In a way, she was rather glad of that. She had to spend her entire days and nights standing, amidst her own excrements. But that was a trial she had long been prepared for as she had undertaken the necessary training to become a spy for Konoha. At times, however, the pain made her body weak, and when her knees buckled a moment, her chained hands prevented her from falling face-first.

She had little left in the Hidden Village of the Mist, except her pride. She had decided that she would not fall into the ground. Nothing approaching begging or grovelling.

She had held on to her personal oath - and the secrets she knew - for five entire days. Her body had been alternatively burned, shocked, frozen, lashed and had most of everything visited upon her. Yet she hadn't broken. And she felt it annoyed the Mist-nin to no end.

"You're something, I admit." her torturer - a lanky, hawk-eyed Shinobi - mused. His tone was one of boredom, but his irritation was plain to Ayako, who had been trained to see and interpret any subtle nuance.

"Its not that great." She sneered.

"Oh, but it is. By this time, after having your chakra cut off with a seal, with all the tortures you endured...a Leaf Shinobi is usually a very pathetic - and very talkative - puddle of broken oaths. And that's in three days, not five. You're interesting. Annoying, but interesting."

"Yeah? I don't feel that delighted about it. You're a pretty lousy torturer as far as I'm-" She clenched her teeth as the jutsu was activated once more. Her battered body stiffened under the assault, but her knees remained firm. 'Hold on. Please, hold on. I still got that. If he just...' she thought as she saw the torturer pace in front of her. 'Fifteen paces out. Can't risk it.' The Jounin part of her mind told her.

Fleeing was of paramount importance. Although she'd lived through the pain so far, she knew it wouldn't last. Her mind had stayed focused, but it would inevitably unravel from the pressure and the pain. And she would tell them, little by little, about Konoha's defensive plans, escape routes and, most of all, their weaknesses. She didn't know enough to allow them to destroy the Hidden Village. But it was enough to get Jounins - like her dear Saru-kun - killed.

She wouldn't allow it.

Her seal - imprinted on the front of her right shoulder - suddenly flared, and she winced even as the other man laughed at her attempt.

"Now 'that' is amusing! You think you can use your chakra to get free? Don't you Leaf Jounins know that this type of seal negates any drawing you might do?" The Mist asked as he approached her grimacing face. Whether it was imprudence, overconfidence or simply an effect of his gloating, the Mist went forward as he spoke. One, two steps. Three steps.

"Now, maybe I should start a more direct approach with this seal. It can be used in more than one way, most of them painful. I might just-" The torturer said. Four steps. Five.

Controlling her body as only a very select few could do, Ayako regurgitated a dart, which she'd swallowed days before, and which had been protected through a special jutsu she'd invented herself. Knowing that she had but one chance, she aimed and spat it in the enemy's direction. Flying flawlessly, it struck the man on the neck.

He took it out with a surprised gasp, looked at her in fury, took a few angry steps forward, then stopped. His movement became sluggish, and he blinked many times. The poison which had been put in was taking effect. Ayako immediately used her leverage and dexterity to use one naked leg to yank the man close, while the other searched nearly as deftly as fingers. After a while, the Jounin's face smiled grimly, and her feet threw something that her battered left hand caught easily. Pain shot through her from many wounds as she did all of this, but Ayako refused to feel the pain, instead looking at the element she'd taken.

Keys.

She tried a few, until one finally fit. With a deft click, her right hand was freed. She ignored her raw, bleeding wrist and worked to free her other arm.

"Don't feel bad, Mist. You shouldn't. You did hurt me. If this had continued, I would have broken. But the problem was this: I'm the best in Konoha where it comes to this for a reason." Ayako said as her left arm was released. Her entire body screamed, but she gritted her teeth and moved towards the man, whom she'd thrown off a bit with her leg.

His eyes were wide, regarding her with fear but mostly surprised and anger. Ayako nodded - that one had been a sadist, but by no means a coward. Her impressions had been right.

"The problem was that I'd been preparing for the possibility of capture. Mentally, and physically. You sealed me, but I'd managed to draw and keep a good deal of chakra active within my body. That way, I could still do some things - such as that dart which got you." She added as she listened if anyone else was coming. Now wouldn't be the time to be caught. Yet she heard nothing.

She coughed suddenly, and blood splattered on the ground. Some of the jutsus and her constant chakra circulation were rupturing her systems. She wiped her mouth and began searching the man.

"Your seal broke my ability to draw new chakra out, but it didn't block my tenketsus. I was never as helpless as you thought I was."

The man opened his mouth, gargled something, then glared at her with unrestrained fury. Whatever he'd said, she guessed it hadn't been a compliment. She took a kunai and held it over the man.

"But now, if I want to have a chance in hell of making it through this, I have to move. Sorry. I guess you should have remembered how stubbornly we Leaf cling to life." She remarked, her voice cold, even as she plunged the kunai into the enemy's throat. Blood splattered around a moment, and then came out in waves as she ruptured the artery. Even as the Mist drained himself of blood, she began to undo the flak vest to get at the other garments.

It would be too big; it would reek of death and blood. But it would allow her to escape. It seemed to Ayako that the seal had become only a minor nuisance, and she knew why.

She could move again. She was a spy again. And, mostly, she hadn't betrayed Konoha or Saru-kun.

Quickly, Ayako set to work despite her wounded body. There was much work to do.

The Present...

"Yeah, Ayako-san wasn't too shabby. Even after all that, she still held her own."

"I'd have expected it. She was the best spy there was in her days, some say."

"Geez, Tsunade. Can't you taste the nice, romantic feel here?!"

"You mean when you where head over heels over that..."

"...yeah. Back then."

38 years earlier...

Jiraiya couldn't help himself. He'd tried to hold it in for nearly a minute, thinking it would pass. He had been grievously deceived. It was there, and it wanted out - no matter the work he was doing at that moment.

Consequently, his body acted without his consent, and Futema Jiraiya yawned rather loudly.

The effect was immediate. A tired sigh came from afar - the exact place was unknown to the genin's closed eyes - and he heard steps coming in his direction. 'Darn it! This old guy really hears every little thing.'

"Jiraiya, a meditation is not supposed to induce sleep. It's supposed to free your spirit." An old, patient - well, less patient now - voice told him, as it had a dozen times already. Jiraiya squirmed; caught between his irritation and the fact that he knew quite well how important the person he was talking to was.

"But...Hokage-sama...if I close my eyes, I eventually want to sleep, you know?!?" The white-haired boy exclaimed, and actually opened his eyes to stare into another white-haired face. That one was wrinkled, showing years of training, battles, joy and sadness of many decades. The Second Hokage had been leading Konoha since before Jiraiya was born, taking the reins while the First Hokage had still lived. He was certainly the most revered and respected man in Konoha, and probably one of the best in the Fire Country.

Jiraiya didn't care if he was arguing with a legend, however. He was tired, and that was that.

"You're not supposed to void your mind so that you'll fall asleep. You need to focus your mind on something so that you can access your chakra better. Look at your comrades." The Second sighed, gesturing at the other two Genins. Neither Orochimaru nor Tsunade had moved form their sitting position, their face as serene as a gentle breeze. "Even the tomboy can do it. Why can't I?!" he muttered loud enough for everyone to hear, and he was gratified to see Tsunade's eyebrow twitch for a moment.

The Second seemed to consider his words for a moment, and looked about to say something, when a grey-garbed Chuunin came into view, walking to the elder shinobi briskly.

"Hokage-sama! The elders need your counsel." The Chuunin said respectfully.

"Very well, then. Orochimaru, Tsunade. You may stop now. Good work on controlling yourself. It'll allow you to extract more chakra if you use what you felt carefully. Jiraiya, you have to find your centre. Only then can you truly begin to attain chakra mastery. Training done for now. I will see you three tomorrow." The old man said.

It was all Jiraiya could do not to make obscene signs at the Hokage's back. 'That old man really gets on my nerves!'

"Meditation, molding, concentration techniques, jutsu discussions... at least Sarutobi gave us jutsu! That old guy's not giving us anything!"

He received a sound whack by Tsunade for this, but it was Orochimaru who replied in his not-quite-snide voice.

"All of that's been very helpful. The Second's giving us advanced training, you know. A few of these tricks are meant for Chuunins at the least. I'm personally finding it enlightening. Not that it'd register to someone like you."

Jiraiya glared, but knew better than to argue with the snake-like boy. The Second had praised Orochimaru's ability to concentrate more than once, and that had made the snake's ego soar. Orochimaru had always acted like he was somewhat better than every other Genin in Konoha. This tendency was starting to get stronger these days, however. Even Tsunade had gotten into one or two arguments with the pale-skinned boy.

Not that he showed it in front of the Second. Of course not. 'Damned, boot-licker! Trying to get on the Second's good side, huh?'

He huffed and left his comrades, rubbing his head even as he walked away. Tsunade hit just as hard as ever, although she seemed to have been calmed somewhat since the Second had talked to her. She had never told him about the discussion, and glared at any attempt to talk about it.

Deep down, Jiraiya knew that it was his own impatience that was making him fail. However, he was too prideful to admit it to himself. 'Well, outside only. Inside, I know better. It's just like my dad kept saying all the time: Power isn't the only Shinobi Path. Guess there're worse things. But, damn! Why do we have to meditate so often, anyway?! It can't be helping us that much!'

Letting it go for now, Jiraiya began to debate on how to spend the rest of his day. Training, he was pretty sick of, so he elected to take a leisurely stroll instead.

He had barely begun walking it when he heard a familiar voice calling to him. He turned to see Maya walking towards him. A smile came to the Genin's lips, unbidden. For some reason, Maya always seemed to be nicer to him than to the others, and he felt warm every single time she singled him out for something.

"Hey, Jiraiya. Whats up?" she asked him, smiling at him in a way she didn't to others. He shrugged in response as they crossed one of Konoha's many bridges.

"I've been practicing meditation under the Second. But I can't seem to get the hang of it. Never was a guy to stand still." Jiraiya noted. She seemed to consider this for a moment, then shrugged herself.

"Just tell him you don't like it." she noted. The white-haired Genin nearly strangled himself in surprise.

"What? Even I'm not stupid enough to go and tell the Second Hokage, a shinobi they say helped build our Hidden Village more than the First himself, off like that! Sarutobi-sensei would kill me outright!" He gasped. He already had imagined several scenarios revolving around that theme. None of them were specially pleasant. Some were rather frightening.

She stopped, then looked at him with an odd look, as if assessing him, then her face bloomed into a smile.

"Whatever you do, Jiraiya, I trust you. You trust me, don't you?" She asked, and he squirmed with the implications some budding part of his mind was grasping.

"S-sure. Of course I do!" He exclaimed. The budding part urged more caution, but Jiraiya easily crushed the very idea. 'Who needs caution? That girl is great!'

"That's what I like about you, Jiraiya: you're an honest guy. Well, keep it up, and protect Konoha well!" And with that, she startled him with a slight peck on the cheek, before walking off.

Jiraiya just stood there for a few moments, touching his cheek, before raising his fist in the air and startling many a passerby with his cry.

"LEAVE IT TO ME!"

Fusae, Jiraiya's mother, had never been a soft woman. Caring, gentle, compassionate, spirited. All of these, she could be. But never soft. It was a trait that had driven Jiraiya's father towards her, just like his father's wisdom had drawn his mother towards kind Mudoya. His mother, Mudoya often told his son, had never allowed personal weakness to deter her.

Knowing the garden his mother kept, Jiraiya agreed completely.

When the Futemas had bought the cozy home and space, there had been little else but some ferns and dried earth, with barely a few boughs to add a little green. The two had planted trees to put a little life, but the crux of the matter came when his mother had been wounded. Refusing the doctors' prognostic that she would never recover, Fusae had taken gardening as her own battleground, using the tasks needed to build a magnificent garden as her way of training her body.

Although she had never recovered enough to be a Shinobi, she had still made a miraculous road to health. She had thus become an herbalist of great talent, and it showed in the green and colours of the Futemas' garden.

Jiraiya, however, did not take much heed to the flowers, boughs and medical plants which artfully dotted much of the backyard, having grown with these plants as far as he could remember. It was only when he heard a voice he knew well that he stopped.

"I see. So using this plant's roots boiled in water can cause temporary paralysis." Orochimaru's voice drifted in from far side of the backyard. Intrigued, Jiraiya walked towards the sound.

"Yes, but you must remember that you must use the right amount. Too much can cause a loss of consciousness which can be rather hard to break. Too little may actually give the person more energy, because it will stimulate the nerves instead of straining them." He heard his mother say patiently. 'Patiently. Why is she always patient with the snake, and not with me?' he thought.

"Very interesting. And is there a way to use these roots and make a sort of time bomb? I mean, a paralysis that does not occur immediately." The snake pressed, although his tone was always polite. Respectful, even, which was a rare sight.

Aside from the Second and the three's sensei, Jiraiya's parents were the only ones who had the pale Genin's respect for some reason. What that reason was, however, the white-haired boy couldn't fathom.

"Well...oh, Jiraiya. I didn't know you were here. How was your day?" His mother asked. She had turned her face away from Orochimaru, and Jiraiya could have sworn he saw a glimmer of relief flicker through her eyes as she did.

"Pretty good day, mom. The Hokage still gives useless lessons-" he began.

"Hokage-sama is known for many things, but not for giving 'useless' lessons." his mother interjected with a frown. Jiraiya kept talking as if she hadn't interrupted.

"-But I got to meet Maya-chan because of it, so it's all cool!" he finished enthusiastically.

Orochimaru, who'd been looking at some roots in his hands thoughtfully, seemed to perk up at this, in the way that he raised his eyes and looked at Jiraiya directly.

"Maya? The kunoichi from Kumo?" he wondered.

"That's the one!" Jiraiya replied cheerfully, even moreso when he saw that Orochimaru seemed unhappy with the news. 'Ha! He must have tried his luck with her and's been shut down!' He thought gleefully. It was a rare sight to see Jiraiya best Orochimaru at anything, and that made Maya all the more precious to him.

"Well, don't get head over heels about this, Jiraiya! Your training comes first, remember that!" His mother told him firmly. There was no messing with that tone, the boy knew.

"Yeah, mom, I got ya. Really, I do!" he insisted.

"Good. Good! Well, boys, come inside and I'll give you some juice. Dinner'll be a little late, since your father has a meeting." Fusae said, and got up, dusting herself, barely limping as she made her way to the house. 'Now wonder dad is impressed by her.' Jiraiya thought. 'Still, I don't get why he gets so moony over things she says.'

"Jiraiya." Orochimaru said seriously.

The white-haired Genin perked up immediately. Orochimaru rarely called him by his name, and never used a tone that didn't have at least 'some' arrogance in it, hidden or otherwise. This time, however, all he felt from his egocentric comrade was a sort of...unease. Orochimaru was uneasy? 'Now the trees will come to life and attack Konoha.' his mind thought in twisted wonder.

"I...don't think you should be too friendly with Maya." The snake-like boy told the reckless boy. Jiraiya nearly fell backward in surprise. Was Orochimaru actually showing 'concern'?

"W-w-what? Why's that? I mean, Maya's a fine girl. She's gone through a lot to bring us this message..." Jiraiya protested.

"Maybe. But she's Kumo, right? Why isn't she going back home? I mean, she's been here a long while, and she's completely recovered." The snake-boy said thoughtfully. Jiraiya had to pause from the weight of the argument for a moment. 'She 'has' been here a long time.' He thought, only to have that replaced by 'She must have her reasons.'

"Who knows? It's probably something like the war between the Leaf and Mist heating up. Maybe scared she'd get caught in the crossfire or something." He tried. Although it sounded lame, it also sounded right to Jiraiya's ears. 'And, who knows? Maybe she has an even better reason.' But Orochimaru, annoyingly to Jiraiya's eyes, wasn't convinced.

"Get caught like that? Her message is delivered. From here on in, she's a simple Cloud Shinobi. And I'm willing to bet that even an aggressive village like the Hidden Mist wouldn't want to drag Cloud to Konoha's side by killing one of its people. It would be military suicide. Mist, from what I know, doesn't have the sheer numbers to beat Konoha in a war of attrition. With Cloud on Konoha's side, they'd be crushed. I'm sure the Mizukage wouldn't-" Orochimaru said patiently. More than he usually did. It was Jiraiya's patience that snapped.

"You're just guessing! Its possible she's got good reasons!" He told Orochimaru accusingly. His tone was becoming hostile, and he didn't care.

"Maybe. Maybe not. Just keep your distance. Because we're not sure."

"You're not sure! 'I'm' sure! Maya is fine! Now drop the subject! This is getting on my nerves! Just leave her alone! And leave me alone while you're at it! Since when do I need your advice, anyway?!?"

With that, Jiraiya angrily stomped away, while Orochimaru remained silent behind him. 


	12. Chapter Twelve

_"Magnekyou, eh? Well, does it matter if I do have it or not? It's just one more crutch. Its not what makes someone truly strong. Its easy to overuse one's bloodlimit ability. And that just makes one foolishly overconfident in his own invincibility."_

-Uchiha Kubo, to a young Uchiha Fugaku

_"Its going to be fine, Sarutobi. You just keep going the way you think it works. You need to remember you're not me, never were, or never will be. Or else, you'll make tons of unnecessary mistakes."_

-Second Hokage to the future Third Hokage

**Chapter Twelve**

"You really had to do it, didn't you?" Jiraiya could hardly keep the frustration from his voice as he glared down at Tsunade. His friend and former teammate returned the glare, plainly undeterred.

"Shut up, you perverted old toad!" she huffed, "I was really about to win this time! I could feel it! If you hadn't stopped me then-"

"You would've lost even more than ten ryos." The tall man sighed. It was nothing new to him. How many times had he had to drag Tsunade out of a gambling place, back when they were young and reckless? 'Not that we're not reckless now, despite no longer being young.' he inwardly admitted. He was thankful neither Shizune nor Naruto had been there to see their latest argument.

It had been a mere four days since the battle with Orochimaru. Jiraiya had been glad to have both aided in the temporary defeat of his former friend. And even happier to come back with the woman who, he was certain, would make a good, solid Hokage for the terribly wounded Konoha. The battle wounds having been healed by the two gifted medical shinobis, they'd gone on the road.

At first, all was well...until they came upon their first large town. Knowing that the brothels there were rather poor, Jiraiya had been all for pressing on, a sentiment echoed by both Naruto and Shizune. The one who was arguably the strongest kunoichi in the world, however, would hear none of it. She wanted to try a nice gambling place, one she'd passed a few times and had never entered.

"I might as well visit that place." she'd reasoned, while her dark-haired assistant had just sighed painfully. "Since I'll be Hokage, I won't have time to do these things. Surely you guys understand that, right?"

Naruto had been extremely vocal in telling the much older woman just how much he did 'not' understand. Stubborness on both their parts had nearly led to a third confrontation, and Jiraiya had found himself in the uncomfortable – and annoying - position of peacemaker.

Eventually, he'd agreed to go visit the place with Tsunade while the others would find rooms at an inn for the night. To argue with Tsunade on gambling places, he knew, was akin to asking him to stop visiting brothels: it was a waste of one's saliva and breath.

And what a ride it had then been! Jiraiya had played only a few of the games and such. He had bet little, and throughout the hours had managed to win just a bit more than he lost. The blonde healer had no such luck. Yens had gone, bets had come off wrong, and wrong-headed determination had set in. It had been after seeing Tsunade ready to make a full fifty-ryo bet that Jiraiya had lost patience, and had dragged his friend out of the place.

'And now she's pouting!' the bewildered toad summoner thought. "Pouting! What kind of fifty year old master jounin pouts!"

"I can do what I damned like, thank you very much, Snowball!" Tsunade glared at him, using the old term which had been very little used in the last decades.

'Damn. Didn't realize I spoke that last aloud.' he mentally muttered.

"Well, you were always stubborn." he said,. Before she could retort, he grinned. "What would Ayako-san think if she saw you gambling away like that?"

She stopped short, the retort on her lips dying out, even as she looked at Jiraiya with a stunned expression. The man almost chuckled aloud. After all, Ayako had always been a mentor of sorts to the Sannin, almost as much as Ayako's husband, the Third.

He had used the old woman's revered memory once, to shake Tsunade out of her self-dejection. It did feel good to Jiraiya to use it again, this time for lighter purposes.

"She'd probably sigh and box my ears." She'd muse.

The image of the elderly Ayako boxing the powerful Tsunade's ears was so vivid that it was all Jiraiya could do to keep from laughing. He saw, from the corner of his eyes, that Tsunade was having a hard time of it herself. The aging jounin was truly happy at that. Thanks in large part to Naruto's spirit helping her, the complicity they had once shared - and which Orochimaru had also been part of - was re-igniting.

"I don't know about that. She was pretty reckless in her time, too." he pointed out, stifling his laughter. They began to walk towards the place Shizune had said she'd take rooms in. "She might have joined in, for all I know."

"You really know nothing of her, Jiraiya." she scoffed without rancor. "Ayako-san was stubborn and prideful, more than most thought. She was also insecure about other things. One of them was about being Sarutobi-sensei's wife."

That 'was' news to him. Sarutobi had certainly never talked about it. He raised an eyebrow, questioning her silently.

"Self-determination?" he queried.

"Self-worth, from what she told me." she answered.

"That's hard to swallow. I've rarely met someone so strong-willed. She's the only one I've ever seen able to get the old man to do whatever she liked, even redecorating the Hokage office..." He mused. 'That' had been rather fun, too, he remembered wistfully.

"Well, you told me about the Cold Mist War, right? The other day?" At his nod, she continued, "You probably know more about what happened to sensei's team than I do. You did bug him with all those questions."

"I fail to see-" he began.

"You'll see. The rescue had two sides to it. What did Sarutobi-sensei tell you about what happened?" she pressed.

Jiraiya considered the question gamely. It had been a long time since the Third had caved in to a much younger white-haired shinobi and told his student what he could of those times. Fortunately, Jiraiya did remember much of it on his own, and was able to add some pieces together quickly enough.

"Well, its no secret that the old man really cared about Ayako-san. We all saw it clear as day." he sighed at that, "They were a wonderful couple, as I remember."

"Its hard not to agree with that. But you learned more about Sarutobi-sensei's rescue mission than I did. I've been meaning to fill the gap at times. Now's as good a time as any. Or do you have any better idea?"

The white-haired legend was certain that, if he did convey that he had better ideas, it would only drive Tsunade into going off to bet herself into poverty, and drag him along for the ride once more. She would find a way to twist the situation, of that he was certain. So, instead of protesting, Jiraiya only frowned in thought.

"From what I remember, Sarutobi-sensei messed up at that point, right when they were about to infiltrate..."

* * *

38 years earlier… 

Sarutobi's trained senses rarely failed him. Knowing all too well what dangers sloppy perception meant, he had diligently worked to keep his eyes, ears, nose and the special sixth sense every living being was endowed with as perfectly as he could, honing each through meditation and chakra usage. Although he did not have the senses of a Hyuuga or a Uchiha, and lacked the innate direction sense some others had, he was confident he was as near to these as one could be.

Why, then, had he not seen the ambush? Why had he not felt it? He knew the answer to these, sadly: he'd let his guard down, allowing three Mist ninjas to attack him before he was ready.

None of these had either the talent or the will to face him, however, and they fell within moments. By the time the others had caught up - merely a moment later - they lay dead, down on the surface. Noiselessly, Uchiha Kubo crept down to check on them, drawing a Kunai to make certain they would never raise an alarm. Hyuuga Mizuri gazed at Kubo, then at Sarutobi, and then at the other two members. Then she activated her eerie Byakugan and soundlessly merged into the night, leaving them all.

As lazy as they were, the Naras also had a deserved reputation for having sharp minds. Vaina only glanced at the situation a moment before understanding.

"They ambushed you. And you never noticed." There was a slight hint of accusation in her otherwise placid tone. It wasn't a question, either. The facts spoke for themselves.

"I slipped." Sarutobi mused. "My attention wandered for a moment." His attention had wandered a lot, actually, drifting to the woman he intended to rescue. But his calm tone didn't mollify his comrades, least of all his rival, Kai, who seemed caught between sadness and anger.

"That's one big slip." he hissed. "And that's because you went ahead, while Vaina and Mizuri are the best scouts. Admit it, Saru, you weren't thinking at all!"

The one who had often been praised as the Second Hokage's brightest pupil, the probable heir to Konoha's leadership, had nothing to say to that. He glared at Kai a moment, but couldn't summon the anger to protest. Kai, after all, was right. A tense moment floated in the air, when Kubo came back and coldly took stock of it.

"This isn't helping either us, or Ayako." he said with the perpetual confidence which the Uchiha Clan seemed to foster, "What's done is done. Sarutobi was chosen by Hokage-sama as our mission leader. Are you going against Nidaime's wishes?" he'd muse, arrogance clashing against arrogance.

But Kubo's arrogance was, in the end, the more aggressive kind. It wasn't long before Kai let things go as they were, although he clearly did it reluctantly. Sarutobi noticed that his rival shot him a disappointed look. For some reason, it made the goateed Jounin feel even worse. It also made him make a decision.

"The way is clear. Remarkably clear, in fact. Looks like your hunch was right, Vaina." A returning Mizuri mused.

Her tone was unsurprised. None in the group was, one had to be truthful about that. When, after all, had Vaina actually been intuitively wrong? Sarutobi couldn't remember it. He decided that it was time to reassert himself, despite his blunder.

"I'm sorry, people. I made a mistake here. A bad one, and one which could have been prevented." he sighed, but he found the strength to face them. How many times had he seen his sensei apologize for mistakes, taking the blame readily, without flinching? If he truly was to be Hokage, he at least had to be able to stomach something like this, and accept his own flaws.

"I think that Kai is right, you know. I'm distracted. Ayako's torment is worrying me too much. I can certainly be useful, but not as leader. So that's why I think Kubo should lead. He's a good leader, and he can think with a clear head. I don't trust myself to." he admitted at last.

It was harder to admit than he had thought it would be. He wasn't used to admitting in not being qualified for the work given him. The Second would probably be disappointed when he learned of it. But he had two precious things at stake here: his team, and Ayako. To relinquish command was the only way to save both to Sarutobi's eyes.

There was one instant of hesitation, broken only by the creaking and cracking sounds of wildlife and the dampness of the woods surrounding the Mist ninjas' city of Kiri. It was Vaina who eventually broke the silence, with the frustrated air of someone who had no more wish to dally on something useless.

"This is all an unnecessary, not to mention a very bothersome, delay." she sighed. "Sarutobi's given command over to you, Kubo. So, what do we do?"

Sarutobi had chosen Kubo because, of all of his companions, he was the one who had the most ability in coping with sudden changes, and give adequate commands at once. The Uchiha prodigy didn't balk or question his new role. Instead, he took stock of it, and answered as naturally as if he'd been in command all along.

"Well, Mizuri has just told us that the way was clear, which implies that someone is probably late to change sentry postings. We can take advantage of this at once, to infiltrate quickly using our best genjutsu. Sarutobi and myself are the best in that, so we should do the infiltration proper. Kai, Mizuri. You'll be the back-up if we need to get out of there in a hurry. Vaina, plan us the swiftest escape route."

Sarutobi nodded along with the others, but his thoughts drifted elsewhere. 'Ayako...' he mused to himself, 'I won't lose you just yet. I promise.' He then forced all of his will to chase the stray thoughts away. The burden of leadership relieved, he could use his energies to keep himself on task.

There was just one thing, though...

"You may not like what I'm going to say, people." he mused. That got their attention instantly. "But I need to say it to this team so everyone is clear. I love Konoha. I would die for the village. I would die for each of you. But no one is as important in my mind, as Ayako. To me, she's everything. I want her safe, and I'll do all I can to do that. Maybe to the exclusion of everything else."

He left it at that, and waited. Mizuri looked unreadable, Nara seemed not to care about what had been said much, while both Kubo and Kai looked pensive. To everyone's surprise, it was the collected Hyuuga who spoke and broke the moment.

"I am married, Sarutobi. I would also put my husband ahead of everything. If you truly love someone...can you do anything else? I doubt it." she mused. At that, Kai grinned and clapped Sarutobi on the shoulder so hard it shook the smaller man.

"Great! Now I can bother you two when you get married! And you 'will' get married. When we get her back and she recovers - and I'm certain she will - I'm going to make sure you two do! You can look forward to me having fun at your couple's expense for a long time in exchange for this little mission."

Sarutobi didn't mind at all. If it brought that woman back to him, he'd gladly endure all the taunts that Kai was capable of.

* * *

Present time… 

"That does sound like the old man, doesn't it?" Tsunade smirked. She glanced at a nearby bar, and sighed when she saw Jiraiya frown. Jiraiya could be a fun guy to be with at times – if you could stand his constant womanizing – but he could also be tedious.

"Sarutobi-sensei's feelings for Ayako-san are well-known today, so its no surprise he thought as he did back in the old days. He was young still, and I got to admit she didn't look half-bad." He grinned wickedly, while speeding up a bit to avoid the bar she'd spotted. Nope, no fun today. "Of course, she was perfect for him in more than just the physical attributes."

"Wanna know how Ayako-san felt about him?" she teased. She knew that Jiraiya had never managed to get much out of the woman over the years, and that something like this would interest him. On cue, he gave her a glance full of honest curiosity.

"I assume that she loved him. We know that it's the truth. What she felt back then…well, she musn't have thought of him much. Wasn't she fleeing Mist or something?" He said, rubbing his chin.

"You really don't know her at all, do you?" she grinned triumphantly, amused by his mock glare. "Let me enlighten you on the woman a bit…"

* * *

38 years earlier… 

Ayako had never felt so utterly crippled. All of her training and experience had barely seen her through the escape she had quickly prepared. Her chakra was nearly nonexistent, and most of what little there was left fueled the genjutsu she'd created to protect her real face. She only looked like a normal Mist shinobi, only a very tired one.

She was a master of genjutsu disguises. No one could create a fake appearance as perfectly as she could. As much as her fighting skills, that was what had allowed her to survive for many years as a spy.

But the image was flickering at times now, forcing her into alleys, where she tried to regain her strength, tried to calm her rising fear, and only went out when she had succeeded at both. She hadn't been spotted yet, but if a shrewd Mist with adequate genjutsu knowledge saw her...

Yes, it was truly a crappy day, she repeated to herself wryly.

She had to escape from the city. Kiri was nearly as large as Konoha, and it was that fact - as well as the fact that she had managed to shave off a few minutes by pretending to be her own jailor - which had prevented them from finding her out. But that was a fleeting thing. The Mizukage himself, she had heard, had ordered the civilians indoors, and squads were now looking for her.

Yet Idawaka Ayako, born and raised in Konoha, wouldn't give up. It wasn't in her to do it. It wasn't the way people of the Leaf were about things. And she was more stubborn about keeping hope alive than most.

Her head spun. The genjutsu was failing again. She quickly lurched into an alley, and fought to regain her short breath. 'Damn. They really did a number on me. If I get out of this, I'll be forced to stay in bed for...weeks, maybe months.' The idea of staying idle for so long bothered her nearly as much as dying proper.

"Have you found anything?" A male voice asked shortly.

She had nearly been seen, had heard the voices right before she would have been to close to escape detection. Quickly, Ayako flattened herself, and joined tired, trembling hands into a seal. She concentrated as she could, her head light and dizzy, her body aching from multiple wounds and bruises and welts from days upon days of torture. She prayed for their leaving. Three ninjas, she could tell from the sound. That was all she could find out with her terribly diminished abilities.

"No, sir. We've looked into the houses and warehouses around here, but she's not hiding in any of them." Another voice answered the first.

"Keep searching! Mizukage-sama has been clear that she cannot reveal what she's learned. It would derail our plans and endanger our entire attempt to cripple Konoha."

'Yes, there's that. A nice, devious little plan, and I'm not certain I've gotten it all. What I do understand makes sense. Too much sense. Risky, but with quite the reward if it's pulled off correctly." She mused, while she tried to keep herself hidden from their trained senses.

After a long moment - a moment during which the wounded spy thought she might go insane from the very tension - they left, and she sagged against the wall slightly. A close call. Another one. Her luck was holding yet.

She looked beyond the alley, over the buildings, to the earthen wall which was the border of Kiri proper. Konoha had been created when the First Hokage, if legends held true, had used his unique powers to raise a vast forest, cloaking the fledgling town until it had become strong enough to unveil itself. The First Mizukage, it seemed, had emptied a lake and had built his city from the bottom of the bowl and then upwards.

The edge of the bowl. The moist, hot forests. Her only real hope was to get lost in a maze that her would-be pursuers would know far more than she. After all, for all of her expertise, they had been born and raised with those dank, lush trees. Sarutobi would have found the prospect ludicrous in its possibilities, and she would have simply laughed at his doubts.

'Saru-kun...' she gave a forlorn mental sigh.

Desperately, she tried to shake herself out of the reverie. Thinking of Sarutobi would not help her. Wishing for his presence near her? Childish, not to mention selfish. He was far away, with problems of his own. Konoha might need him, if Mist managed to pull of what it wished. But even then...

Even then, she wanted to go back to him. And tell him of her feelings. She had never been very truthful. She had always joked, danced around the subject, not wishing to see if things truly were as serious as they seemed. It was cowardly, and she had to make it up to the short but oh-so talented man.

She regained her breath. The genjutsu stabilized, and Ayako began to walk once more. Her hopes were small, yet they remained. She wished to see Konoha again, wished to see her friends and comrades. But, mostly, she simply wanted to hold Sarutobi and be held by him.

'I must really be wounded in the head by now,' She reflected as she cautiously moved from shadow to shadow, 'If all I have now are those useless, mushy thoughts.' Try as she might, however, they stubbornly remained.

"Hey, you there!"

Her heart all but stopped, she turned swiftly, taking a kunai out and gripping it tightly. Fear of being retaken blossomed in her heart. If they came to her again, she'd lethally wound herself. She wouldn't demean herself, wouldn't allow them to use her against her home and love.

But the one who had shouted was ordering a stray villager to go indoors, and then started off in the opposite direction. Luck. Pure luck. She sighed in relief, trembling. That luck had to hold yet. It had to!

She fought off the despair which was starting to cling at her, and began to lurch forward through another alley. Such alleys were common enough in Kiri, moreso than in Konoha, and she had long memorized the street and back-street layout. She also knew where patrols passed more frequently.

She was in the south-eastern part of the town. It was poorer, and the units there tended to be fewer and less organized. Not that it would help her much in the long run, but she had no intention of staying in order to check just how much it could increase. She had other goals.

To get out of there. To escape back to Konoha. To Sarutobi.

And tell them that Mist fully intends to deprive Hidden Leaf of its strength by murdering the Second Hokage.

* * *

Present time… 

Jiraiya shook his head ruefully. Relationships could indeed keep surprising you, even after the two involved were gone. Still, it also reminded him of those times, and how things had played out.

"We didn't have it easy, in those days. First real war in years, and all it meant. It came too soon for me, I think." He mused.

"Bah! Don't talk like that, you snowball." She said seriously, "Yeah, it was tough, but we all managed in the end. You included, I might add."

"I don't quite mean that." Jiraiya said. "Just that some things were hard to deal with. You remember, the first time my dad had to go fight?"

Tsunade shrugged, frowning, then nodded reluctantly. "Somewhat. We were eating at your place, I think – the food was far better there – and both your parents were with us…"

* * *

38 years earlier… 

Tsunade had never liked life at her home much. Her parents, although not bad people, were certainly annoying, overly concerned with appearances. It had always been their way to pressure Tsunade into succeeding, reminding her in no uncertain terms that she should remember that they came from the proudest bloodline, that of the First Hokage.

The young genin couldn't have cared less. Certainly, she did feel some pride in being related to the overachieving, renowned man. But she wasn't about to go too crazy over that. As far as Tsunade was concerned, being Hokage seemed to be nothing but tedious responsibility.

Imagine, to be concerned about everyone in Konoha! To be looked up to at every turn, to be scrutinized by young and old. She didn't know how her grandfather and his adopted brother, the man who had become their current Nidaime, had ever managed.

No, Tsunade didn't like the pressure. That was why she found excuses to go eat at the Futemas' whenever she could.

She often heaped scorn upon her snow-haired comrade. He often talked before he thought, liked to whine about missed chances, and was very good at getting Tsunade's ever-touchy temper to rise and explode. But he had one thing she really envied: a great family. The Futemas lived in a smaller house than her own, and they had neither the apparent pride nor the wealth. But the place was filled with a warmth the young blonde found endearing.

Besides, the cooking was very good.

"Don't hog all the meat, Jiraiya!" She fumed, as her friend - 'friend?' - was heaping a small mound of meat pieces on his plate. She made a grab for it, and he deftly prevented her from succeeding.

"I like that meat!" he defended, huffing.

"I like it too!" she replied hotly. Fusae's marinade was a favorite among the three young shinobis – for Orochimaru sometimes ate there as well, as he did now. They glared at each other, a contest which would have quickly degenerated into something loud had a large hand not plucked the tray and set it near Tsunade. Both genins shot Futema Mudoya a surprised look. They'd forgotten that he - and Fusae and Orochimaru, for that matter - was present at the table.

"Don't be nasty with your teammates, Jiraiya. You know sharing's the best way." The white-haired man said distractedly.

He had always been distracted lately, Tsunade realized. So had Fusae, come to think of it. 'Must be all those meetings and preparations. Mist is on the move, dad told me.' she thought, and shivered. She'd never seen a war proper, but had never liked the prospect of it.

Those thoughts didn't stop her from sticking her tongue at her teammate, and getting the delicate meat. It was while she began dipping the pieces that Fusae spoke, thoughtfully and yet distantly.

"You three received some lessons from Hokage-sama. You must have been excited." she told them.

"It was quite interesting." Orochimaru said calmly. He never seemed to sneer at either of Jiraiya's parents. The Futema's own son was neither as calm or as diplomatic as the snake-like boy.

"The Second Hokage! Man! He's never happy with what I do! He's always chatting about this or that battle and the 'lessons' we should learn from it!" Jiraiya huffed, "Besides, he's not doing anything with us these days. He's always on some meeting or other."

"You shouldn't be so surprised, Jiraiya." Mudoya told him gently, "He has to prepare our forces to intercept the Mist before they strike too close to home. If we can do that before they can establish themselves…"

"We? You said we." Orochimaru mused, eyebrows rising somewhat, "Mudoya-san, are you...joining the initial counter-strike?"

The room seemed a bit colder for moment in Tsunade's mind. For some reason, she had known something like this was possible. Mudoya and Fusae's silence was proof that Orochimaru's query was the truth. At the same time, she couldn't imagine the tall, well-liked and generous Mudoya fighting, hurting, killing. It just didn't fit.

"Dad?" Jiraiya asked, his voice less confident than Tsunade had ever heard it. The man sighed at that point.

"I suppose its not use beating around the bush with this." he told them, "Orochimaru is right, Jiraiya. I was among those called to make up the first assault group. Don't look like that! I may look like this, but I can hold myself very well in a fight."

"I-I don't feel hungry anymore." the white-haired boy muttered as an answer, shoving his plate aside and leaving the table.

"Jiraiya!" Fusae said sternly, but the young genin was already gone.

There was a tense moment, in which none spoke. And then, wordlessly, the white-haired chuunin rose and calmly walked in the direction his son had taken. Both parents exchanged a look, and Fusae nodded wearily. He left as well.

The food was very good. Marinated, slightly spiced, with a very subtle taste. But Tsunade didn't want to eat anymore. She felt like the warm place had been violated in some way. 'Is that what war really does to happy places. No one in Konoha's happy anymore. I hate it. It just sucks.' she thought bleakly.

Behind the doors, her hearing heard Jiraiya's voice rising from afar, and coming up again and again at irregular intervals. Eventually, there was silence. Tsunade exchanged a look with Orochimaru. The normally confident face was pensive, and he nodded to her, perfectly understanding.

"It was very good, Fusae-san. Can we be excused?" he asked, surprisingly mild and gentle. At her nod, both genins stood up, bowed, and left.

They left the house quickly. It wasn't only the sudden drop in the house's innate warmth which made Tsunade leave for her part. It was also because she knew that Jiraiya was as proud as any other young man. And, in the end, he 'was' her teammate.

And it just didn't seem right for Orochimaru and herself to stay and hear the white-haired boy weep in worry.

* * *

Present Time… 

"Awfully nice of you to do that." Jiraiya told her with a cynical edge. "I'm more surprised that Orochimaru did the same as you did."

"Hey, he did like your parents back in the old days. So did I, as far as that goes. We didn't see you at training for two days afterwards." She mused. Tsunade had been angry at Jiraiya's weakness then, finding him selfish. She did understand now, much later. "Maybe then you wouldn't have fallen to-"

"Don't say it." He warned. "Its bad enough that I have to remember the way she took advantage of that time…"

* * *

38 years earlier… 

"This is a bad dream."

Jiraiya waited for himself to wake up. Nothing happened.

"This...is a bad dream...right?" he asked the sky as he sat in a park he always liked to visit when troubled. Around him, people - both shinibi and not - went by, few looking very calm, many of them looking quite worried but also grimly determined. Those shinobis who had walked around him were all considerably older than he was.

They'd seen combat. They'd seen war. They were as ready for that horror as a human being could be. So, a part of his own mind told him, was his father. Jiraiya had been five when the last war ended, and remembered little of it aside from the fact that his father wasn't home often for a long while. His memory of it was, thus, cloudy at best.

But now he wasn't five. He was much older, and he had seen how dangerous real combat was, compared to even the harshest training. He imagined his father fighting that way, using various jutsu to defeat his enemies. And then be struck down by a Mist Shinobi who happened to be stronger or quicker than Mudoya was. From the moment his father had told him the news, that single image had poisoned his mind relentlessly.

"But you could die, dad!" he'd told the white-haired chuunin earlier. His father had sighed, and then shrugged. He did not appear very worried about the eventuality. Perhaps it was a mask.

"If this battle goes well enough, our casualties might be light. The Mist are good enough, but they're easy to mislead. If we play our cards right, we'll all be okay." He had grinned then. "Don't worry, I'll do my best to stay alive!"

If the man had thought of using that to lighten the mood, it had been a total failure. Jiraiya had been struck with the idea that his father might soon be gone. Not for a day, a week or even a month, but forever. He had felt tear stinging his eyes, and had tried to brush them off.

"But, dad...I don't want...you could still...die." he'd repeated helplessly. At this, Mudoya had grunted, with what seemed to be a sad note.

"If it happens, Jiraiya, it happens." he'd said, "I certainly want to see you grow up to the fine man I know you'll be, and I want to see your mother grow old with me. I'm not planning on dying at thirty-nine years of age. But I chose to serve as a shinobi, and I know there's always a risk. You'll have to deal with it, too, in time."

"Who cares!" he'd said hotly. "I don't want you to go, dad!"

"Jiraiya..."

"I don't care! I want you to stay! I want you to stay!" He'd said, and had collapsed against his father in tears, angry at himself for the emotions and at the same time relieved he'd said what he had. He'd felt his father gently hold him for a while, silently. But the man who had been there for him since the day Jiraiya had been born simply shook his head sadly.

"Its a duty, Jiraiya. You'll understand what I mean, someday."

He'd gone and fled at that, and had gone to sit in the park. It was still light outside, so he knew that neither of his parents would come hunting for him yet. He didn't want to talk to them. 'How can dad say these things like its nothing. Like it doesn't matter. What about me and mom!'

He chased away any thoughts which would describe him as selfish. So what if Konoha needed strong people like his dad? It just wasn't fair for him to go like that. No matter how one thought about it, it just couldn't be.

"And I don't care if people think I'm a selfish lil' jerk!" he shouted, making several heads turn and quite embarrassing him in the process. Just then, he spotted Maya, who had been walking towards him but had stopped at his shout. 'Great. She picked the PERFECT time.' he grouched.

"Hey, Jiraiya. You're really not gonna be popular if you keep shouting like that, you know." she said lightly. For once, her voice seemed more annoying than pretty. She was acting so unconcerned. Even though he knew that she was a Lightning Shinobi and couldn't really care about Konoha, it still irked him. So he frowned and growled.

"Whoa, you're in a bad mood." she said, hands on her hips. "What's wrong with you today?"

He erupted at that, pretty girl or not.

"What's wrong with me! My dad's going to go fight against the Mist, is what's wrong! I don't want dad to die, I don't want him getting hurt! You got a problem with that? Well, that's how I feel about it!" He snapped, aware he was letting his tongue wag before his mind could think, but unable to do otherwise.

She looked surprised at his outburst, but didn't flinch as he had half-hoped she would . She simply looked at him for a moment, until he looked away and fidgeted. Then, she came to sit beside him on the bench. He was surprised when she tapped his arm in clumsy comfort.

"Yeah. You're right. I'm sorry, alright?" she mused, "I didn't know about your dad. But... I can't say I'm surprised."

"Why not?" he asked angrily. He wouldn't be mollified this easily!

"Because people told me Mudoya-san is very strong. The only reason he's not a Jounin is because he never accepted the necessary testing for some reason. That's why I'm not surprised. Of course they'll send strong shinobi to take Mist on!"

Jiraiya opened his mouth to say something to that, and then closed it in angry confusion. 'The way she said it, its almost a good thing that dad's in danger!' he thought angrily, while another thought of 'But she's right! Dad's strong, so of course the old Hokage would want him!' held him. Emotion and reason battled each other for a moment, until one side conceded defeat.

"Its just...not fair." he mused sadly. He didn't want his dad hurt, was it so very wrong of him to think like that?

She gave a small, frustrated sound.

"You're so naive, Jiraiya. So cute and so naive." she said, and then the young genin was shocked when the girl from Kumo gave him a light kiss on the cheek. He almost felt as if she'd touched him with lightning, and he looked up at her, to find her gazing at him with a calm grin.

"Yup. So cute and so naive." she repeated.


	13. Chapter Thirteen

"_You do not know what you're asking. To learn my jutsu is not simply a task of reading scrolls. Its one of inner knowledge and patience, of a special mindset. I will teach you when I feel you are ready. Not before. Console yourself in the fact that I did not say no._

The First Hokage

"_Me? Well, I plan to go fishing! Its been a while."_

The Second Hokage, upon choosing the Third

**Chapter Thirteen**

Jiraiya barely managed to restrain a snarl. "Now, listen here, brat! The fish's not ready yet, and it won't BE ready yet no matter how much of a pest you become! Just leave it be!"

All that followed by him snatching the fish and its stick, and laying it over the fire with the others. The middle-aged man felt he had control of the situation. While it might not always have been true, he was largely right in this case.

The group composed of himself, Naruto, Shizune and the future Godaime of Konoha had decided to rest by a small lake. A quick survey of it had convinced him and Shizune that they could get fresh fish to save their own supplies.

The two women had decided to leave the actual fishing to the men, something which Naruto, young and impatient as always, had been rather bad at. Almost all of the fish and a large part of the cleaning had been done by the Frog Hermit himself. Which hadn't stopped Naruto from complaining incessantly.

"Brat, just shut up, will ya?" Tsunade mused, leaning against a tree by the fire, Shizune sitting nearby with the piglet, Tonton. "It'll be cooked eventually, so stop fussing!"

"I'm not fussing, granny Tsunade!" he answered with far too much heat. "I just want to eat already!" He utterly ignored the glare thrown his way for using the 'granny' moniker on Tsunade. Shizune immediately began to calm her former sensei's ire before the two hot spirits began to fight, verbally or physically.

Seeing the two women together, Jiraiya felt that he understood Naruto a bit. Although Tsunade looked young and beautiful like Shizune herself, the fact was that the future Hokage was entering her fifties, like the Toad-using Jounin. A precise, maintained genjutsu, learned from one of Konoha's greatest infiltrators and refined over the years, kept the appearance of youth.

Not that the white-haired man found that Tsunade was ugly. He had glimpsed her true form, and despite his craving for young women for his eyes – and literary imagination, of course! – he could see that age hadn't made his former teammate's beauty fade yet.

It all came down to the fact that, of the Sannin, Jiraiya was the only one to have accepted aging peacefully. Orochimaru had become a monstrous entity inhabiting stolen hosts, and Tsunade used jutus to hide her own aging.

She was actually still beautiful in his eyes. When she was calm. When she didn't gamble. When she didn't act like some carefree Daimyo with all the time in the world. Thinking back, Jiraiya found that he didn't find Tsunade beautiful that often. Annoying, of course. Beautiful? It wasn't something the Sannin wished to dwell on.

"We'll be in Konoha in three days." Shizune said helpfully.

"Good!" Tsunade said jovially. "Just long enough for us to go and visit some gambling halls, right?"

"Tsunade-sama!" Shizune admonished.

"Not on your life." Jiraiya stated implacably as he checked the fish.

"That's really all you think about, isn't it?" Naruto hollered. This made further discussion hazardous as Tsunade jumped forward.

"Watch yourself, brat! Don't push your luck with me! You've been more lucky than you think!" The medical genius snapped right back. Her tone had a dangerous edge now. Jiraiya would have backed down at that point, but Naruto was too young and personally too reckless to heed a warning, whether he'd seen the change or not.

"Hokage or not, you don't scare me at all, Old Hag!" Naruto stated loudly. Tsunade's eyebrow twitched ever so slightly, causing Shizune to panic while the Slug User's ex-teammate simply waited.

"Tsunade-sama! Please calm down! He's just a boy, after all!" the black-haired jounin said nervously. Tonton squealed something in obvious support. The comment seemed to please neither contender.

"Don't call me a kid!" Naruto growled.

"Stay out of this, Shizune!" Tsunade warned.

"Well, the fish is ready." Jiraiya interjected idly.

He could just have easily have said that angels had come down from heaven. In a moment, Naruto had appeared and, seemingly having forgotten that he had been about to fight the strongest kunoichi in the world, began to munch with endless appetite.

Jiraiya saw that Tsunade seemed caught between outrage and resignation at being second to food. The older man had long learned to live with that part of Naruto's mind. The boy had a set of priorities, with food near the top and arguments being near the bottom. It was an actually reasonable disposition. The white-haired Sannin picked up a fish himself and motioned to the other two shinobi and the pet.

"Might as well eat now, you two." He mused. "It's a long walk to the next town, and I don't want to sleep outside if I can help it." He found that reasonable as well. Tsunade, however, hadn't gotten her temper under control, only giving him a glare.

"Hah. You've always been soft, Jiraiya!" she said, "I've never been afraid of a little camping."

"Even with the risk of myself sleeping close to you?" he teased. She glowered, and he sighed, "Just come eat." Saying that, he took another fish and went to hand it over to his friend, while Shizune and Tonton went to eat near the fire. Away from the younger shinobi, the two Sannin simply sat quietly for a moment, Tsunade silently taking the fish and eating it slowly.

Jiraiya ate with more appetite, but found his focus shifting to Naruto himself. The blonde genin was treating Shizune to how Haruno Sakura was crazy over Uchiha Sasuke, and how Sasuke seemed to have a knack for trouble underneath his 'perfection.' Jiraiya could feel concern from the blond youth, concerned for the last sane Uchiha, crippled by his own older brother's doujutsu.

"I believe he just might do it." Jiraiya mused. Tsunade gave him a look. "Become Hokage, I mean. He'll be the first one to not have started out a prodigy, but I think he'll equal any of your predecessors in time."

"Yeah. That's if he can ever grow out of that reckless nature of his!" The woman growled. "I swear, what an annoying kid."

"No more annoying than WE used to be." The white-haired man chuckled, "We were a handful back in the day. And it was worse when Sarutobi-sensei wasn't around."

"That didn't happen often. He was always training us and reining us." She grumbled.

"Oh?" he grinned, "I seem to remember a time when you got into quite a bit of trouble. And with Nidaime-sama to boot!"

She didn't seem to like the reminder. "I didn't do THAT much!"

"Then I guess it was another hyperactive girl who managed to mess up Nidaime's clean office…" Jiraiya said.

* * *

_38 years earlier…_

Hokage Tower. Stories said that it was the first building ever built, and in the first year stood as a small bastion surrounded by ramshackle houses for the ones who had decided to follow the man who had forced the Ninja World Wars to a stop, and insured such widespread conflict never happened again.

Of course, by the time Tsunade had been born, the rough camp lost in the forest had already grown manifold, into a large town, and the tower had reached what it was today: a large, squat tower, overlooking Mount Hokage. It contained the main briefing rooms, the Jounin meeting room, and many other places of administrative function. It was the heart of the governing body of which the Second Hokage was currently head of.

Of course, the very heart of Hokage Tower was Nidaime's private sanctum, where he ruled over all of Konoha with the stern yet gentle way he always had. Having been at his post five years when Tsunade was born, he had arranged it to suit his tastes. Genins were sometimes asked to clean the room, something which was considered an honour.

Tsunade wanted to blow the whole place up.

"Just how is cleaning an old man's room an honour?" she griped to her friends, even as Jiraiya dusted some lamps and Orochimaru replaced some books on a bookshelf. "Its just old stuff mounted here and there!"

She had little in the way of response at first. Jiraiya hadn't been the same since the day his father had announced he was going to the main battlefield. As for Orochimaru...well, Tsunade had no idea what Orochimaru could ever be thinking. The snake-like boy had never been a talkative person. The silence irked her, however, and she stamped her foot down to get their attention.

"Hey! Didn't you hear me?" she shouted. Both boys cringed and grimaced.

"We heard you." Orochimaru deadpanned. "I just didn't find it necessary to answer that. Cleaning is part of a Genin's duties, and I think its better to clean Nidaime-sama's private sanctum than weeding out a garden."

"Right." Jiraiya agreed, less energetically than usual.

He was right. Damn him. "But it's so BORING!" she insisted vehemently.

"Just feed the fish." Orochimaru sighed, returning to work on the bookshelves, of which there were many. Although he kept his jutsu scrolls elsewhere, the Second had built himself an impressive library from secondary subjects of private interests.

The heart - and most precious item - in the sanctum, however, was in the Aquarium. Built of the finest glass and set against a sky background, it filled with fine sea sands and pebbles, while coloured lights issued from rare sea fungi. The aquarium filled an entire wall, and was full of rare fish which - it was said - the Second had found, bought, been offered and otherwise acquired over the years.

It was a beautiful setup, which Sarutobi-sensei had warned them never to damage. Feeding the fish, however, bored the restless Tsunade out of her mind.

She glared at the different types of fish floating around, and grabbed the fish food swiftly. She then climbed a short ladder and began pouring some food into it. 'There." she thought grumpily. 'Stupid fish! Waste of time. Nidaime-sama's really a geezer if this rocks his boat!'

"Hey, hey! What are you doing!" Jiraiya suddenly cried, quickly coming to stand under her. Finally finding a suitable target for her it, Tsunade glared down.

"I'm feeding the damned fish, what do you think!" she huffed.

"But you're putting in too much!" he growled. "The fish'll die if you do it like that! They'll get sick from eating too much, and they'll die!"

"Well, tough for them, if they're that stupid!" she replied hotly. Jiraiya was probably right, but she'd shave her head before she admitted it. At that moment, Orochimaru approached, also somewhat alarmed.

"Look, Tsunade." he said louder than usual. "Act like a kid of you want. But not here. Nidaime-sama's chambers' not the place to lose your temper!"

Tsunade let go of the food, and jumped down to the ground, angry at last. She glared at her teammates. "So what if I lose my temper! Its FINE the way it is!" She growled. And with that, she slammed the back of her hand on the glass.

Which cracked.

And broke.

Of course, water gushed out like a miniature torrent, while the fish and sand quickly found themselves all over the place. In under thirty seconds, as all three youths looked on in horror, the room went from a fine place to live to a disaster area.

Water soaked the fine carpets which, Sarutobi-sensei had said, were a gift from the First Kazekage himself, a prized item of rare textures. Three books on the floor - now hopelessly soaked, their pages changed to mush - had been old history records. And then there were the fish, the rare fish, flopping around, gasping for breath.

"M-my God!" Jiraiya gasped, eyes as round as saucers. Orochimaru looked just as dismayed, quite a feat considering his usual arrogant calmness.

"W-w-well..." she stammered. "I...didn't see the glass. Not my fault. Damn glass. In the way." she babbled. Her comrades glared at her angrily, and she found that she couldn't quite glare back. She looked around the room, aghast.

Right then, as luck would have it, the Second entered the room calmly. All three stared at his tall, older form in dread.

The Hokage entered the room with a benign, slightly bored expression. It tightened as soon as he took even a step on the carpet and heard the squishing sound. With deliberate slowness, he examined the wrecked room - the flapping fish, the smashed aquarium, the filth and mud from the sand, and the destroyed books.

He then turned his attention back on the trio, and his eyes narrowed ever so slightly, while his right eyebrow twitched ever so slightly. He didn't say a word, and didn't really need to. Tsunade had been raised with the man frequently visiting her, and knew how Sarutobi-sensei's sensei reacted when he felt irked, irritated or otherwise angry.

And then both Orochimaru and Jiraiya swiftly pointed at her.

"She did it!" they both said at the same time.

Had Tsunade not been speared by the Second Hokage's gaze, she would have joyfully killed them both.

* * *

_Present Time…_

Tsunade glared.

'That was a cheap shot, Jiraiya.', she thought grumpily as she was reminded of the embarassment. "You were looking damned proud of yourself, pointing to me like that."

Her old comrade laughed out loud at that, while Naruto and Shizune gave them both confused looks. It wasn't surprising to see them troubled. Shizune, for her part, looked just as embarrassed as she was confused – Tsunade had never told her about the aquarium incident.

"What are you saying?" the white-haired sannin finally coughed up, "There was Nidaime-sama standing there, looking angry! I don't know about Orochimaru, but I was scared out of my mind! I just wanted to melt into the floor and disappear forever."

"You had it easy. You didn't have to listen to Nidaime's lecture about negligence." Tsunade grumbled. Being part of her family of sorts, the old Hokage had been adamant about her knowing how wrong her deed was, and had been diligent in his punishment. "I didn't talk to you two for two days afterwards."

"Three." Jiraiya corrected. "Orochimaru and I sure didn't think you were that angry. I remember that we had an interesting talk afterwards…"

* * *

_38 Years Earlier…_

Tsunade glared, a dangerous thing in any circumstances. Normally, Jiraiya would have heeded it, as Orochimaru would have. But the white-haired genin had found something to lift the increasing gloom hanging over himself a little, and he wasn't about to just let go of it yet.

"Man, wasn't that just fun or what?" he grinned. The girl flushed, more embarrassed than angry.

"No, it wasn't! Only a pervert like you'd like it, Snowball!" she huffed.

"Oh, I'm sure that Orochimaru liked it, too!" Jiraiya retorted, nudging his pale comrade, who merely shrugged. Taking that as a yes, the boy turned back to the young kunoichi triumphantly. "See?"

"Then you're BOTH perverts! Stay away from me!" she warned angrily, and walked down the road faster, outpacing the two boys. She was too embarrassed to do much. One look at her tense back, however, reminded him of the girl's freakish strength and the danger of having anger overtaking the embarrassment.

"You're shameless, really." Orochimaru said indifferently.

"So what? It was a show to remember!" Jiraiya replied readily.

In the young genin's mind, it HAD been a memorable time when he'd seen the Second Hokage discover the mess Tsunade had managed to do with her temper. The old shinobi hadn't done much in the way of shouting, but had instead gone on to lecture Tsunade with the sternest, most disappointed voice Jiraiya had ever heard.

After putting the poor fish in water-filled buckets, of course.

After the fish had been saved and the salvageable books salvaged, the Second had told Tsunade to mop and clean the place, without aid from her comrades. Pleas and angry attempts at changing the old man's mind had met with stone-cold silence.

"Do it." The old Hokage had said simply. "Maybe through this, you'll find that your temper is better off controlled."

She had shot the man a baleful, thoroughly ignored look, and reluctantly gone to work. Her teammates had had to watch to drive the point home more strongly. It had taken her nearly three hours of work to put things back to relative normalcy, and she was almost – just almost though – meek when the Second Hokage, who never left the room himself, had allowed them to leave.

It was known that the Second Hokage had been adopted by the First Hokage as a brother, despite there being no blood relationship. As such, the old man had known Tsunade from the crib. It explained why the girl – who sometimes argued angrily with their sensei – had taken the command with surprisingly little resistance.

"She won't be happy for a while." Orochimaru remarked, having taken out a small book and busy reading it.

"Hey, that's her problem. She's the one who smashed that geezer's fish tank."

"Aquarium."

"Whatever!"

"Well, this did have one positive outcome." Orochimaru mused, "You finally snapped out of that unnecessary funk of yours."

Jiraiya gritted his teeth. Just when one thought he was getting friendly with Orochimaru, the pale boy reminded everyone that he was no one's friend. He did it perfectly, with his nonchalance, superiority and arrogance. Jiraiya had forgotten, for a moment, his father's imminent leaving. Now, it all came back to the foreground with a vengeance.

"You really enjoy that, don't you?" Jiraiya mused with a hiss, "You enjoy it when someone else's hurting, eh? Gives you a thrill, doesn't it?"

"That's not what I meant." Orochimaru said. He had no chance to say much more, for the snow-haired boy suddenly took hold of the frail-looking genin and pushed his face close. 'I don't care what dad says!' he thought angrily 'So what if the snake is all alone! With his attitude, he deserves whatever he gets!'

"So what did you mean? That I can't be sad because my dad is going to a damn dangerous fight? That's what you think! That it's stupid? Is that it!" If Orochimaru smirked, acted nonchalant, or showed any disdain, Jiraiya would do his very best to beat the crap out of his teammate, Orochimaru's superior skills notwithstanding.

Instead, Orochimaru surprised him by actually sighing. "Of course it's not stupid."

Of everything the snake-like boy could have said, this was one of the least expected possible. In shock, Jiraiya actually let go. He gave the pale genin a surprised, confused look. "What?" was all he managed to say. Orochimaru dusted himself a bit before replying.

"It's not stupid. I don't like it, either." The frail genin mused, "Mudoya-san is a nice man. He's one of the few…one of the few… who sees me as someone… normal."

There was that lost, wistful look at that moment, that moment of painful vulnerability which Orochimaru rarely showed. Jiraiya had seen it only rarely, and had never been able to know what to make of it. A part of him told him that it was the right time to reach out, to say something meaningful.

But he couldn't find anything to say. He was usually good enough with words, but he found nothing to say.

The moment passed. The confidence returned. And, somewhere in Jiraiya's soul, something lamented the lost opportunity.

"But your dad is strong. And I think he'll be alright. Don't you see it?" the pale boy asked. "You worry over nothing. It won't change anything. Just believe as hard as you can that he'll come back. That will be enough…"

* * *

_Present Time…_

"I don't wanna know about that!" Naruto suddenly exploded, jarring the group out of the story-telling mood. "I'm not interested about the Perverted old geezer's talks with Orochimaru!"

Jiraiya bonked him on the head. "Mind your own business, brat!" he said severely. The comment was, of course, lost on Naruto. The boy leaned forward quickly. "I wanna know what happened to Gramps and Ayako!"

"Ayako-sama to you, brat!" Jiraiya fumed. Really, the boy had NO respect for his elders!

"Whatever! I still wanna know!" Naruto snapped. Both the sensei and the apprentice glared at each other for a length of time, while Shizune seemed to grow increasingly nervous. Finally, it was Tsunade who sighed.

"If that'll make you shut up a bit…" the future Fifth Hokage mused. "I remember some stuff that Ayako-san said. Now, what was it?"

"Right, right! Tell me, tell me!" The blonde boy cried happily.

"Don't rush me!" she snapped. "Now, where was I? Ah, right. Ayako-san was getting out of Kiri. She'd made it far, from what she told me. But, at one point, her luck just gave out…"

* * *

_38 Years Earlier…_

Idawaka Ayako had lived through far too many missions in her near-three decades of existence not to have known that escape from Kiri was slim, so slim it wasn't even worth talking about.

At her best, with all of her jutsu and all of her physical abilities, she could have managed somehow – she'd done similar feats before. But her chakra was at a small fraction of what it was supposed to be, and she couldn't find the concentration to even try her most complicated jutsu.

Facing two Mist Jounins wasn't something she would have found very difficult, either. Now, facing them was almost certain death. 'I'm just screwed.' She thought sardonically, 'Luck could only take me so far, eh?'

Fear of being caught had evaporated upon being actually caught. Now, gazing at her opponents, knowing others would soon be on their way, she felt nothing but bleak irony.

She thanked the Heavens that she wasn't facing one of the Seven Swordsmen, the elite Kiri fighters. Those powerful shinobi had certainly been sent against Konoha already. Some to fight the main force, others to…

"Surrender, Leaf." One of the Jounins stated coldly. "It'll be less painful that way."

Who did the man think he was fooling? She couldn't be allowed to return to Konoha no matter what. If she surrendered, she would be tortured to death. Weak as she was, Ayako nonetheless allowed herself a grim smile of disdain.

"Won't happen. The painlessness, or the surrender." She answered. It didn't seem to affect her adversaries. Given that they probably had orders to kill her if she resisted, it wasn't surprising at all.

"I'm sorry then. Really. But our orders are clear." He said, and his hands moved to make seals just as the other Jounin charged her.

She had seen the charge and mentally prepared herself for it. She had taken the time dodging the guards and shinobis to concentrate as much chakra as she could, and release it in one burst. She let it out then, and it surged through tired limbs, giving them a reprieve from weakness.

She met the charge not by stepping away, or trying to throw the enemy back. Those were expected tactics. She decided to take the initiative, and even as the man threw himself forward, she did the same. From the momentary confusion, the second of hesitation, he hadn't expected her to fight in her weakened state. That second cost the man dearly.

Ayako's fist crashed right into open defences, and came into contact with the man's throat. She knew that her power could never make a significant, physically-damaging attack through power alone. Instead, she focused on chakra disruption, her chakra attacking the nervous system. Muscles spasmed for a moment, completely throwing off the enemy's respiratory system out of focus. Despite the light nature of the punch itself, the enemy fell back coughing, clutching his throat.

That made the other man frown angrily, a loss of control she took advantage of. A quick series of seals, and mental efforts to summon chakra, and Ayako inhaled air painfully, the change coming into being in an instant. She exhaled strongly, and a cloud of thick smoke covered the scene.

At that moment, Ayako threw herself flat on the gound, and a jet of water strong enough to knock her down – and out – passed just over her. Not wasting time, she rolled away, fought to her feet, and made to escape the area. If she could reach the backstreets, if she could fade away again…

A powerful blow hit her from behind, and she flew into a thick stone wall.

'Yeah, luck's run out.' She thought bleakly. She felt it despite everything: three more jounins had arrived, and were attacking her.

She swung her leg in a wide, instinctive arc, and found it caught by powerful hands. In desperation, she kicked the wall, ignoring blood and pain, and managed to shove the man away. The jounin let go in surprise, and she then leaned unto the wall. She tried to rise again, but found that she couldn't.

This was it, she realized. Still, she gave the Jounin a defiant stare. She still did when the water jutsu hit her like a steel beam. Her vision swam, she felt the warmth which meant internal bleeding, and swayed on her feet. Yet, she held on, grinning grimly, as they came close. The fear was gone. They wouldn't hear her either whimper or beg.

And then, all of a sudden, one of the jounins held his head and grunted in pain. His fellows looked at him for a moment, confused. The Jounin then looked around himself and noticed his comrade. His eyes, pupils dilated, focused in surprise and anger.

"Leaf Shinobi! We're being raided!" He shouted. And, to his allies' horror, he charged them furiously, hitting one almost maniacally as the other tried to pry the maddened man off. Ayako herself could only stare in absolute befuddlement. Her senses were so shot she never felt the newcomer before he touched her shoulder lightly.

She gave a gasp, used her remaining strength to slap the hand away, and gave the new threat a feverish, cornered glare before realizing that she knew the red eyes, the arrogant face, and the raven-black hair peppered with a few strands of white.

"Y-you're…Kubo…" she said, her mind refusing to believe it.

"Guess I am. My, my, Ayako-chan. Looks like you went through the meat grinder." He grinned as arrogantly as ever, but his gaze was critical and concerned. Then he turned his attention back on an attacking Jounin.

The enemy attacked with speed and power, and was deft and experienced by his body movements. But Uchiha Kubo had mastered the Sharingan as perfectly as one from his Clan had ever had. Shots which should have been hits went wide, and a strong enemy defence became full of holes which the arrogant Leaf Jounin exploited readily. In a few moments, he battered the enemy down and snapped its neck.

"These guys aren't the best that Mist can offer, are they?" he said, and he seemed almost genuinely worried. "If so, I can't believe you've been taken captive by amateurs like these."

"S-shut up…" was all she could manage, sliding down the wall. Her strength was giving out, and her will could no longer support her.

Another shadow then came over her, even as Kubo blurred towards the remaining enemies. For some reason, despite her fading strength, she recognized it. She couldn't help it. After all, hadn't she been thinking of that very same person, on and off, for many years?

"S-Saru….Sarutobi…" she muttered. Her voice was thick and uncontrolled, and there was nothing disciplined about the relief she felt when she vaguely saw Sarutobi lean towards her.

"Finally found you." He said, and there was restrained emotion in his voice, which was rather unlike him in battle, "You sure have given us enough trouble. Now just lay still, and let us do the rest of the dirty work."

"I…I can do that." Yes, her mind thought, she really could. It was with this thought that her body finally gave out, and her consciousness faded into blessed darkness.

* * *

_Present Time…_

"Ah, those were the days. There's rarely been a team like that, in Konoha or anywhere." Jiraiya sighed.

"What's so great about them?" Naruto complained. "I never heard from them at all!"

All he received for that comment was yet another bonk on the head. Jiraiya couldn't believe that kid, really. 'I hope he'll grow wiser before he becomes Hokage.' He mused, before looking at Tsunade. 'Of course, he won't have the best role model for that…'

"What are you looking at, you perverted old fool?" Tsunade snapped. He cringed. She'd noticed.

"Ah…nothing, nothing at all! I just…erm…hey, remember what happened afterwards?" he said, far too brightly, as he well knew, "The old man told us about that time, when he got to rescue Ayako…"

* * *

_38 Years Earlier_

If the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist had been in Kiri, or if the Mizukage had been, Sarutobi doubted that his team could have made it out of there alive. There were limits to what five ninjas could do, especially when dragging a gravely weakened, wounded comrade.

Fortunately for them, the Seven Swordsmen were being sent over to the front lines, and Mizukage himself had gone to supervise parts of the operations. With the bulk of Kiri's shinobis gone, what remained were only a handful of Jounins, some Chuunins, and mostly Genins. After striking down those few who had overtaken Ayako, they'd done their best to split away from the village.

They had been caught up to, now. Twelve young men and women stood around them, poised to attack. Sarutobi shifted Ayako's dead weight and poised his hands to make seals, as Kubo and Kai tensed to counter any physical strikes.

"These people are easy to read." Kubo mused, "They have defensive holes as big as an Akimichi's fat ass, and they don't have the confidence veterans have."

"Chuunins at best. Not one Jounin in the bunch." Kai whispered. "I don't like the idea of fighting against mere Chuunins…but they're in the way."

Sarutobi also hated it, hated the idea of killing ninjas far less powerful than he was. But everyone in Hebi Team knew that Mist shinobis couldn't be looked upon as ninjas from Suna or Kumo or Iwa. The reason lay in how one became a Genin: by killing a friend in single combat. The practice was condemned in all other Shinobi Villages, and denounced by all four other Kages.

Yet it did not change the fact that this ruthless mentality made Mist Shinobi individuals never to be underestimated. As such, Sarutobi tensely waited for the assembled enemy to make their move. It should be soon…

'There!' he thought. One of the Mist Chuunins shifted his feet an inch, and launched himself in the air, launching a flurry of shuriken their way. Others soon followed suit, and the darkness was suddenly alive with whizzing sounds.

Sarutobi took three shuriken and launched them in the air, making seals quickly, using the jutsu invented by Shodai Hokage, which had been passed down to Nidaime, and which Nidaime had taught him. The puny threesome became nine, then twenty-seven, then nearly a hundred, and the Kage Bunshin Shurikens struck down many of the incoming missiles, deflecting path and making path for Kubo and Kai to pass through.

Like living shadows, the two attacked the Chuunins, unheeding of the odds, and each found himself surrounded by four, as four others converged on Sarutobi. The four to one odds, however, seemed to mean nothing. Each of Kai's blows was like a hammer, and Kubo's extremely powerful sharingan abilities allowed him to read his opponents in advance.

As the groups met in a flurry of kicks, shots and minor jutsu, it became clear that each had the upper hand, and that the more numerous enemy was quickly forced on a rapidly failing defensive.

Sarutobi could have done the same. He had the skill and the speed for it. However, he couldn't do so. To do so would mean leaving the unconscious Ayako at the mercy of a sneak attack, something he would never allow even if his own life depended on it.

He grinned a mirthless grin under cold eyes. 'So be it. I don't need to move to take care of these four.' He thought. As two of them moved behind him, Sarutobi used his trained senses to find their position, and made a seal. With a great cry, he pointed to each of them before they could strike.

He hadn't had time to list and choose among his genjutsu. Consequently, he picked one of his most powerful and acted upon it, molding his chakra in a moment, expanding it in another.

The two enemy chuunin fell to the ground, convulsed, hiccupping rather than screaming, as their nerves burned and rebelled against them, as their breath nearly stopped and their stomach turned over. An expert jounin could have resisted the jutsu relatively well. The enemy's mental resistance, however, was not on par with what was needed.

One of the remaining enemies drew the large sword which all among the Mist shinobis knew how to use. Chakra gathered on the sword's edge, undoubtedly giving it increased power, and the enemy charged angrily.

Too angrily. There was a lack of emotional control in the charge, and Sarutobi could read the movements as if he was of the Uchiha bloodline himself. The man came close, too close, and raised his sword too high. Saruto used two fingers and struck at the man's forehead with all of his might, disrupting chakra at this point.

The effects were immediate. The man's eyes went blank, saliva erupted from his mouth, and the sword fell from nerveless hands, clanging hard on the cobbles street. Sarutobi pushed the man away, but the enemy was unconscious before hitting the ground.

Sarutobi then looked for the last enemy, ready to deal with his last opponent, and stopped his movement cold as he saw the last enemy having laid his weapon aside, crouching next to one of the two caught in a genjutsu, a woman, and using chakra to dispel the jutsu. Sarutobi took stock of the two enemies, of the single-minded drive the chuunin had to help the other chuunin, and understood.

'To protect someone precious, at the cost of his own defence.' He mused, 'It's foolish at times, but I can respect it.' He knew it would take time for the jutsu to be dispelled fully, and turned his attentions to his comrades. He saw that they, too, had taken care of their enemy. Kubo came to join him, while Kai quickly finished his last two opponents with a lightning-quick series of kicks.

"All clear." Kubo inquired, looking at the remaining Chuunin.

"Yes." Both men could see that the last one couldn't be much of a problem at any rate. As soon as Kai joined them, they left, quickly jumping up the cliff which made Kiri's natural walls, and over the railing. Behind them, there was much commotion. The battle had taken only a few seconds, yet had attracted most Shinobis in the area. They would soon organize a pursuit.

As they came to the plateau, they saw a few Mist sprawled, either dead or unconscious, while Vaina and Mizuri stood, alert and ready. They had prepared the path that Vaina had chosen as the best escape route.

"That was quick." Mizuri mused.

"It seems that Ayako had already escaped. This explains why their defences were so scattered at first. They'll pull themselves together soon, though." Kai mused.

Vaina came to Sarutobi's side and quickly examined Ayako, her eyes critical. They all wished to be off, yet if Ayako's wounds were too severe.

But the Nara kunoichi finally nodded. "Yeah, that'll do. She's messed up badly, but nothing life-threatening. We can transport her to a safer spot without being worried."

Sarutobi sighed in relief, his body flooded with the happiness of that knowledge. Ayako had survived her ordeal. Now, they only had to make certain that she came back to Konoha to get proper care. He shifted her weight, and looked at her briefly. 'That woman…she sure makes me worry all the time…' he reflected fondly.

"They'll be on us soon. Let's go quickly." Kubo ordered.

At once, Heibi Team faded into the damp forest surrounding Hidden Mist.


End file.
